Hynes Return
by Zephyr5
Summary: Crossover with stargate. What happens when the world is faced with two deadly, and opposed, forces that will culminate in the rebirth of Hyne? !language, yaoi! COMPLETE
1. Screams in the Night

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: I dunno who SG characters are (c), unless it's warner?, but they're not mine.  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter One: Screams in the Night~**

RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The scream of a T-Rexaur in acute pain ripped through the silence of the darkness.

RRRRRRAAAAAAAAUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

UUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

More screams followed the first, rising in volume and pitch.

RRRRRRRAAAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!

The first dorm lights began to come on a students and SeeDs alike were woken by the noise.

RRRRRRRUUUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggnnnnn............

WHHOOOOOOOOMMMMPPPHHHHHH......................

The gurgling last breath was as audible across the Garden as the loud explosion of fire which cut it off.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssssssssssssssss.................

Lights began to go out again as the hiss of steam signalled the containment and dousing of the fire.  No one relaxed until that was heard - everyone remembered the last fire to get out of hand in the training centre only too well.

Silence returned to the training centre, and the Garden, flowing back into the void left by the discontinuation of loud noises.  Darkness returned too as the last flames of the fire died and the last lights went out.

AN: This chapter was written 'cause I wanted to kill something, but in person, whilst listening to some of my music, which kinda ruled out any games that involve having a disc in your computer.  So I ended up killing a T-Rexaur in my mind, and writing its screams down...  Then my ff8 muses woke up and decided to investigate, and another fan fic was born. 


	2. Elsewhere

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Two: Elsewhere~**

Squall shifted uneasily in his sleep, waking enough to feel Rinoa in his arms before he closed his eyes, trying to drift into his dreams again.  It was no use.  Now he was awake there would be no more sleep until the next night.  Besides, he felt uneasy, the old itch between the shoulderblades warning him like mad that there was trouble.  Only there wasn't.  SeeD was a long way in his past now, they could deal with their own problems, and Rinoa - the only other possible source of anxiety - was safe in his arms.  So why wouldn't the feeling go away?

He sighed softly, and gently eased himself out of the bed, taking care not to wake Rinoa.  She woke more easily now, and she needed the sleep more now she was pregnant.  Naked, but uncaring - who after all was in this area, besides themselves, to see or care? - Squall walked over to the window and drew back the edge of a curtain.  The moonlight would disturb Rinoa, or so he excused the automatic behaviour.  He knew it wasn't really that.  It was the SeeD training rearing its ugly head again, making him paranoid.  But then again, it never hurt to be cautious, and gut instinct had saved him on more than one occasion. 

The moon was full, and bright, and the clearing outside the front of the house was brightly lit.  Some nights, although he had kept it secret from Rinoa, when the moon lit up the clearing like it was daybreak, he took lionheart down from its resting place and went outside and practised.  There was only one element missing.  An opponent, or rather, a certain opponent.

Squall smiled grimly.  Moving silently, he dressed and fetched lionheart.  Each time he said it was the last.  Each time he lied.  It was like some part of him couldn't let go of the past, couldn't let go of...  He shied away from his thoughts.  Tonight felt different for some reason, a reason beyond his admission of his addiction.  He could feel in his heart, in his soul, that something was going to happen. 

AN: Maybe I should've put the yaoi warning in later, then everyone would've jumped to exactly the wrong conclusion with this chapter...

Please rxr and check out my original fic 'Time Without Age' – I want people to vote on its poll so that I can write the next chapter... *blushes* shameless plug, I know, *hides* won't do it again – honest *tries to look innocent and fails* :p


	3. Meetings

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Three: Meetings~**

Quistis sighed and adjusted the top of her dress uniform for about the thousandth time.  Across the limo from her, Zell scowled and began shadow boxing.  Finally he stopped, catching her glare and sitting down again, muttering.

"What?"  Quistis asked, irritated.

"Just thinkin' this meetin's gonna be a waste of time."  Zell replied sharply.  Quistis rolled her eyes.  "I mean, it's not like we're gonna change anythin'."  He continued.  "We'll get the same answer we always get - ' Esthar has closed its borders for the duration of hostilities between Galbadia and Trabia.'"  He rolled his eyes dramatically.  "Laguna sure can be a complete ass when he wants to."  Quistis frowned at him, inwardly agreeing.  Zell appeared to realise she agreed, and grinned wolfishly at her.  "C'mon Quis, admitting what you're really thinkin' ain't gonna bring the world down around your ears."  She shrugged awkwardly and turned to look out of the darkened windows.

What Zell had said was close to the mark, but off by quite a bit.  Not about her...  No, he managed to be quite accurate about her most of the time - which was beginning to worry her.  But about Esthar.  The borders weren't closed in the literal sense, the fact that they were being driven along the narrow streets attested to that.  The borders were only closed to any armies that might wish to cross.  In effect Laguna was being quite sensible.  If Trabia and Galbadia were to fight, it would have to take place across Esthar's territory and Esthar would be dragged into the fight.  But by denying them anywhere to fight - both the Trabian and Galbadian coastlines being too well defended for a foothold to be gained by opposing forces - Laguna was effectively preventing a major war.

It wasn't like the two countries even had anything to fight over.  Except Galbadia had somehow convinced itself that Trabia was harbouring Seifer.  

"It's not even known for certain if Seifer survived or not."  Quistis muttered out loud.

"Fujin and Raijin would know."  Zell pointed out before his brain caught up with his mouth.  He began to cover his statement, but Quistis beat him to it.

"So would anyone else who's dead."  She snapped sarcastically.  Zell shrugged, saved from replying as the limo rolled to a halt and the door next to Quistis opened.  

Laguna, despite his age, bounced into the vehicle, causing it to rock violently.  With a repressed curse, Zell grabbed the back of his seat in an effort to stay upright.  Quistis caught herself on one hand as she swayed with the vehicle, feeling certain that her hair had all suddenly fallen into disarray.  Once the door closed, and the vehicle steadied, both were gloomily unsurprised to see Laguna standing as though the floor had never moved.

"So kids!  What can I do for you?"  He equired cheerfully.  Zell grimaced.

"Do you have to call us kids?"  He asked frostily.  "I mean, we're top ranking SeeDs on a diplomatic mission.  Calling us 'kids' kinda lowers the tone."  Laguna grinned unrepentantly.

"Hell Zell, I keep tellin ya ta call me Uncle Laguna."  He shrugged.  "Besides, its not like this is an official mission."  He winked at Quistis.  "You don't need to dress up to impress me."  Zell sniggered.  "Neither do you for that matter."  Laguna added.  Zell fell quiet so quickly that Quistis couldn't help bursting into laughter. 

AN: Yup, news of the first character deaths – Fujin and Raijin were casualties of time compression in my version though, so I didn't exactly kill them myself.  Or maybe they aren't dead – maybe everyone just thinks they are...


	4. Signs

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Four: Signs~**

Selphie and Irvine were 'discussing' the issue of the nightly screams from the training centre.  So far every method they had tried to keep people out had failed to result in a night of peace.  Considering things had been going on for nearly two weeks now, nerves were beginning to fray.

"I still think that as long as it's only monsters screaming like that we shouldn't worry."  Selphie glared at Irvine, who refused to be daunted.  Not that many people knew it, but Selphie could be a genuine wildcat if she wanted.

"And what do we do if a student or SeeD gets attacked?"  She demanded.  "We should at least know what's causing the noise."  Irvine chuckled.

"We do know.  Dying monsters.  Besides, if someone's got that much repressed anger, I don't think we should deny them somewhere to take it out on something."  Selphie threw her hands up in disgust.

"I..."  The loud chime of an urgent message arriving cut off whatever she had been about to say.  Irvine leaned forward to silence the alert and retrieve the message.

"We're going to Centra."

"What?  Why?"  Selphie demanded as Ivine hauled her to her feet.  "Has the excavation team found something?"  Irvine refused to answer, dragging the curious Selphie into their shared quarters to get their weapons.

***

(AN: if ur confused this next bit is after the end of chpt 2) 

A figure, shrouded in a long grey coat, barely visible in the grey shadows on the edge of the moonlight.  

A figure, standing, head bowed, leaning on a gunblade.

A figure, alive, mocking all the rumours of death.

Seifer.

"Seifer?"

Squall knew, in his gut, that it was indeed Seifer, that somehow he had survived time compression without Fujin and Raijin.  How many nights had he lain awake, hoping that it was so, praying that Seifer was alive.  Were his prayers being answered?  Or had Seifer come back to finish what Ultemecia had started?  Squall wasn't sure what he would do if the latter were true.  No, that was another lie, he did know.  He would let Seifer kill him, through torture, or a clean execution, he didn't care.  Rinoa only kept him alive because she was vulnerable, her powers suppressed by the child she carried, but once it was born she would discard him.

The figure looked up, the moonlight casting deep shadows on his gaunt face.

"I'm not here to fight you Squall."

Squall suppressed a chuckle.  So Seifer could still do it.  Could still reach through the spoken words to grasp the thoughts beyond.  He was thinner, older, more mature, but otherwise no different.  A sudden rush of hope filled Squall.  Who had saved him in time compression?  Everyone thought it was Rinoa, but Squall knew different.  Sure Rinoa had been the one to find him, to bring him back to the flower field, from the Kaskabald desert - he'd been back and had found, against the laws of all probability, gunblade ammunition, his gunblade ammunition - but it hadn't been her that Squall had been thinking of.  He'd given up hope of finding Seifer, his legs collapsing underneath him, but Squall had never given up hope that Seifer lived.

"I'm here to save your ass from Rinoa's child."

Squall frowned at that.  Not to save him from Rinoa, or himself, but from Rinoa's child?  How in Hyne's name did Seifer even know that Rinoa was pregnant?  It suddenly struck him that Seifer had called him Squall, not Leonhart as was his usual manner of addressing him.  "How do you know Rinoa's pregnant?"  Squall found himself almost across the clearing, only a few feet away from a bone-weary Seifer.  It was clear Hyperion was all that was stopping him from collapsing.  It was also clear the blond could barely spare the energy to shrug, but he tried.

"I just know...  Ultemecia...  She was pregnant too..."

Somehow, despite the tremor in Seifer's voice, the words sounded more ominous to Squall than anything he had ever heard.

AN: *celebrates*  finally got around to changing that last line :p Still not brilliant imo... but better than it was :)


	5. Stargate?

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Five: Stargate?~**

Klaxons sounded throughout the base as the Stargate activated.

"Who is it?"  Hammond demanded, walking in from his office.  Jack O'Neill and Sam Carter were already in the control room, and Jack turned to look at Hammond.

"SG2 sir."  The sergeant at the desk responded promptly.

"Who is this guy?"  Jack asked Hammond.  The colonel shrugged.

"He's a stand-in.  Seems like everyone's coming down with this blasted cold."  He sneezed as he joined them.  Jack mouthed a sympathetic 'oh', and silently thanked whatever star it was that meant he largely wasn't affected by such things.  He watched as the iris spiralled open to reveal the open gate.  Even after seeing it so many times, after have travelled through it so many times, the sight still held a degree of awe and wonder.  

SG2 stepped unhurriedly through, waving at the control room to indicate that there was nothing out of the ordinary on the other side.  It was a system of signalling that had grown up, rather than being implemented.  If the returning team returned backwards or jumped though, it could safely be assumed that there was a hostile force on the other side.  The last through would wave frantically for the iris to be closed, although the g'ould were learning fast that any attempts to follow an SGC team was doomed to failure.  A hastily returning team who weren't under attack would pause on the ramp to wave at the control room and indicate that planetary, rather than military, conditions had forced their return.

"So, um, where do we go next?"  Jack turned in time to see Daniel pushing his glasses back up his nose.

"I believe you are scheduled to visit planet FFY-008, Daniel Jackson."  Teal'c responded.  "However I will not be going with you."

"Why not?"  Sam asked, looking from Hammond - who didn't look surprised by Teal'c's statement - and back to Teal'c.

"The Tokra have requested that Teal'c locate an individual on Tulak."  Hammond explained, struggling to say both Teal'c and Tulak with a blocked nose.

"Did they say why?"  Jack demanded, not really expecting that they had.

"Only that it is vital for them to know."  Hammond shrugged, waiting for Jack's outburst.

"Hah!  How come we have to tell them everything, and they get to tell us nothing?"  Jack demanded of the air.

"So, when do we go?"  Daniel inquired, leaving Jack muttering imprecations against the Tokra to himself.  Hammond checked his watch.

"In two hours."  Sam frowned.

"But we haven't had a mission briefing."  Hammond nodded.

"I know.  You're doing this one blind." 

AN: I can't remember that SG1 have ever done a blind mission – even the film sent a probe first – so this is a first for them, only I couldn't figure out (read, was too lazy to figure out) how ff8 would react to a probe and SG1 would still walk through into a circle of armed SeeDs.  I'm also trying to keep SG1 in character, and – there's a lot of things I'm trying to do – I didn't want to play the comic/medical twist with Teal'c's g'ould, so I packed him off on a mission for the Tokra, which neatly meant I didn't have to go to any great detail on the mission – to Jack's exasperation *grins*


	6. Destinations

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Six: Destinations~**

The 'meeting' had degenerated into a general chat in the back of the Estharian limo.  Zell had long since given up trying to keep Laguna on topic, and Quistis was too polite to force the conversation back to the point.  There was a ringing chime from one of the displays, and Laguna finally stopped talking to see what was going on.

"It's a top priority message from Irvine and Selphie."  He waved the paper carelessly in the air, and Zell, forgetting all manners in the face of the possiblity of action, snatched it as the message drifted temptingly close to him.  Laguna continued to wave his hand for a moment, not realising he'd lost the paper until Zell exclaimed in surprise.

"We're going to Centra!?"  His voice was a mix of surprise and eagerness, and of course, curiosity.  Everyone in SeeD knew of the 'excavation team' in Centra, headed by Dr Odine, but supervised closely by heavily armed SeeDs.  When the unpredictable Odine was around, Garden considered it prudent to expect anything, in a rather more literal sense of the word than normal.

"They've found something?"  Laguna asked, spinning round to look at Zell.  Zell shrugged.

"All it says is to get there ASAP, and that they'll meet us there."  He paused.  "Oh, and a request to ask you once more if you know where Squall and Rinoa are."  Laguna frowned.

"If Squall doesn't want to be found, he has the training not to be."  He pointed out evasively.  He did know where they were, although for once he had told no one, not even Kiros or Ward, and not even Squall knew he'd been located.  Well, actually he had told one person, but he couldn't for the life of him remember who, or why he wasn't worried that they - whoever they were - knew.  Quistis shrugged.

"Laguna has a point Zell.  I mean, remember how hard he was to find around Garden when he didn't want to be?"  Zell sighed.

"I guess.  But we still have to get to Centra ASAP.  Irvine and Selphie'll have taken the Ragnarok, they're probably already there."  Laguna coughed to get their attention.

"We do have a few other arial machines that can get you there a lot quicker than the Ragnarok."  Quistis and Zell looked at each other.  "Of course, they're not as versatile as the Ragnarok, and they're not armed, but as scout craft they do just fine."

"How soon can we be on one?"  Quistis finally asked.  The limo pulled to a halt and Laguna chuckled.

"Two minutes soon enough?"  They piled out of the limo and into the disguised bunker.  Zell let out a whoop of excitement as Laguna pointed out the scout craft they were to take.

"Alright!  Centra, here we come!"  He punched the air enthusiastically. 

AN: I dunno – is Laguna being a bit OOC by anticipating the need for fast arial transport?  N'mind, I'll make him up for it later *smirks evilly*

Morrigan; thankie for your review, I hope I don't make any of the SG1 team too OOC... *grins* anyway, u may have to wait a while b4 they make their next appearance :)


	7. No Goodbyes

AN: sorry I'm dragging out Squall and Seifer's bit - there's kinda two stories goin on here (if u haven't noticed), Squall, Seifer and Rinoa r in 1, + everyone else's in the other (they do meet l8r)

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Seven: No Goodbyes~**

Seifer swayed, his legs starting to buckle at the knees.  Automatically Squall moved to his side, grabbing an arm and looping it over his shoulder.  He was shocked to discover that there was almost no weight to Seifer at all.  He was barely skin and bones.  Only his muscles had provided an illusion of flesh, and the shadows had hidden the pallor of his face.

But there was a creditable amount of resistance when Squall tried to help Seifer towards the house.  He stopped, and found that Seifer was shaking his head.

"You have to help me get away from here before she realises I'm here."  Squall frowned.

"Rinoa's always saying she wishes she knew if you survived or not."  There was a harsh laugh.

"Yeah.  So she knows if she's gotta kill me or if killing Fujin and Raijin was enough."  Squall's frown deepened.  "I can't explain here Squall.  There's a hut a few miles away.  We can make it by dawn.  That should be far enough, for now."  Squall sighed.

"Why I should listen to you I don't know."  He paused, looking down at the moonlit ground.  His stomach was churning.  An impossible choice, to stay and protect Rinoa, as he had promised her he would, and to risk losing Seifer again, or to go and listen to Seifer, to steal a few precious hours in the company of the person he was now convinced had saved him in time compression.  "I'll come.  But first I have to at least leave a note telling Rinoa how long I'll be gone."  Seifer was shaking his head.

"No goodbyes.  She'll wake if you go back, and she'll know I'm here.  We'll both die."

Squall's heart was pounding.  He was torn in two directions.  Loyalty or...love.

Seifer waited, knowing that whatever decision was made had to be Squall's, and Squall's alone.  He closed his eyes, feeling the world grow colder as he came closer to death.  It had been a stupid plan, but the best he could come up with.  The GF he had junctioned, Hades, would keep him physically strong, but to hide from Rinoa and her child his life-force had to be as weak as possible.  He just hoped that Squall could make it to the 'hut' before dawn. 

AN: Well, guess Fujin and Raijin didn't survive then...  Subtlety just went flyin out the window too, although I guess I could be really generous and say that people who missed the SxS yaoi warnings so far are just eager to get to the story :)


	8. Footprints In The Snow

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Eight: Footprints in the Snow~**

With Irvine and Selphie absent, Martine - left in charge while they were away - had decided that now was his chance to prove he could be a good leader.  He counted himself lucky that Irvine had agreed with Cid that evacuating Galbadia Garden, when the Sorceress Ultemecia made her intentions clear, had been the wisest course of action.  He also knew that if he screwed up again, he was unlikely to get another chance.  But what better way, he wondered, to prove himself, than by solving the current mystery.  If he could succeed in discovering who or what was causing the screams at night, then surely his request to be given the position of Headmaster of Esthar Garden - currently in the planning stages of construction - could not be denied.

Martine had reasoned his methods for discovering the cause as follows.  Selphie and Irvine were convinced it was a SeeD or student, or some other resident of the Garden, responsible, as they didn't think anyone else was capable of the battle skills required to kill a T-Rexaur so thoroughly.  To that end their surveillance had been directed inwards.  That this surveillance had seen nothing, whilst the screams continued, suggested to Martine that the cause was from an outside source, entering Garden from the outer perimeter, rather than from inside.  Plus, as he knew full well, it wasn't just SeeD who could use magic or fight.  So, his plan was twofold.  Firstly, he had organised a team of SeeDs with high observation skills to search the ground around the Garden for footprints or chocobo tracks and to mark each one.  Secondly he had a team of SeeD technicians installing a surveillance system to watch the outer perimeter.

Several hours later, Martine's logical thinking paid off.  The search for tracks in the snow had revealed a set of incoming chocobo tracks which stopped at the rear of the Garden before heading away again.  Immediately Martine set a pair of technicians to install a very discrete low-light camera to watch the ground where the tracks had been found.  All that remained was to wait, and see what the night brought. 

AN: I never really understood what happened with Galbadia Garden.  Did all the SeeDs (except, miraculously, those with the key cards) get massacred by Seifer's soldiers and Edea, or were they evacuated?  If they were evacuated, why wasn't Balamb Garden stuffed full of SeeDs ready to fight off Seifer's soldiers?  If they were massacred, how did a few SeeDs survive?  How did Martine survive?  And what cleaning products did they use, 'cause I want some... (not for cleaning anything in particular, just to say I've got it...)


	9. Choices

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Nine: Choices~**

Squall staggered into the rough cabin just as the first dawn light began to lighten the eastern horizon.  There was a single bed and blanket in the corner, and he gratefully laid Seifer's unconscious form on it, pausing only to confirm that the older man was still breathing.  Not that he would've minded having to give him the kiss of life, but Squall wasn't entirely sure that he remembered the procedure correctly.  He noted, with a cynical smile, that Seifer seemed to have known what condition he would be returning in - if he returned.  On a small, three-legged stool by the bed were a phoenix down and several elixirs.  Squall sighed, and sprinkled the phoenix down over Seifer, pleased to see his breathing strengthen immediately as he slipped into a more natural sleep.

Squall guessed sleep was the best thing for Seifer right now, much as he wanted to know why on earth he'd gone to such lengths.  He turned away, surveying the cabin.  There was little in the way of furnishings, or comforts.  A small fireplace, the bed, the stool, an oil lamp hanging from the ceiling, and a table.  Squall wandered over to the table and laid both hyperion and lionheart down on it.  There was an envelope, rather battered and with a corner almost torn completely off.  On it, in Seifer's unmistakeable elegant, flowing script, was a single word.  A single name.  Squall.

Slowly he picked it up.  Childlike, he traced the letters with a single finger, wondering, not for the first time, at the beauty of the writing.  He could remember how everyone had once teased Seifer for his writing, how the older boy had worked so hard to make his writing more common, eventually resorting to writing left-handed.  Of course, later, when Seifer had become the undisputed terror of Garden, he had reverted to using his right hand to write.

Squall realised he was putting off opening the letter, deliberately.  There was no way to tell if the contents were good or bad.  He turned it over and chuckled.  There was no getting away from the fact that Seifer knew him better than anyone else.  Scrawled across the back - in his left-hand writing - was an admonition to 'stop pissing around and open the damn letter'.  Smiling, Squall did as he was bidden.

The letter inside was in far better condition than its envelope, except for the top corner, which had been ripped - like the envelope.  Slowly he unfolded the crisp paper, and began to read.

It was a short letter, although Seifer wasn't a great letter writer, much preferring to talk directly to someone.  In essence the contents of the letter were simple.  

Ultemecia hadn't been killed in time compression, but had died giving birth.  They had defeated an illusion.  It got worse.  Seifer didn't know much about the child - except it wasn't his - but he did know that there was, or would be, another.  Given that he had managed to find all the other sorceresses and ascertain that it wasn't them, the process of elimination had left Rinoa, who had disappeared with Squall shortly after Ultemecia's death, and hadn't been seen since.  Laguna - of all people, Squall thought sourly - had managed to locate both of them, and had told Seifer.  Squall frowned.  Laguna could be an idiot, but there had to be more to that part of the story than Seifer was letting on in the letter.  Seifer had reasoned that the only way to get to Squall without alerting Rinoa was to be on the verge of death - a state he had certainly achieved if Squall was any judge - and then hope that Squall made the right choice.

And that was it.  Clearly the letter had been written before Seifer began to starve himself, and had been deliberately left with very little information in case, Rinoa, found it.  

AN: I somehow get the feeling that behind Seifer's exterior bully, there's a really refined person.  So I can see him writing with like, an Edwardian script or something similarly ornate.  I also know that both extremes of writing (really crap and unbelievably good) get their writers into a lot of 'bullying' situations, so I guess Seifer's first reaction would be to try and conform, then later, when he's the strongest, he becomes the bully again and reverts to his old writing in defiance... wow, that almost makes sense *shudders* I hate it when I start analysing people... :)


	10. Discoveries

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Ten: Discoveries~**

When Laguna said the scout craft could travel faster than the Ragnarok, Quistis mused, struggling to regain her balance on ground that seemed to be moving faster than a train, she had never for one moment really believed him.  She was gratified to find, after staggering around a corner, that Zell was having a similarly difficult transition from travelling at over 1,100 feet per second to walking on terra firma.

They had startled everyone with the speed of their arrival, both in time from receiving the message and in velocity itself.  The pilot had been rescued from Selphie by the simple expedient of Irvine explaining that there were no weapons or any of the 'funky' gadgets Selphie so adored on the Ragnarok.  She had almost immediately lost interest, not even turning to watch as the pilot took off and headed back to Esthar.

Quistis paused as she felt the familiar tingle of an esuna spell wash over her, and spun around to find Irvine with a grin on his face.  Automatically she opened her mouth to scold him, and then realised that the world was no longer moving past at an incredible pace.  Zell too had recovered with the spell, and he called a hearty 'thanks' to Irvine before he turned and headed for his room.

"I know, I know."  Irvine waved down the still pending lecture.  "I'm not supposed to go around casting magic wherever it might help."  He snorted at the Garden rule.  "Well, a) I'm not in Garden right now, b) it appears to have worked and c) I don't know when, if, anything's going to happen, and I'd rather not have you and Zell wandering around half crazed if something does happen."  Quistis sighed and closed her mouth on the lecture.

"Well, I'll go change and..."  She stopped as the buildings began to resonate with a low rumble.  She exchanged a look with Irvine, then they both ran for the source.  Quistis felt another tingle as she ran through a doorway on Irvine's heels.

"Shell and Protect - Odine's idea.  Gets you on the way in, but not the way out.  People were forgetting to put the spells on before they came in."  He explained quickly, shouting the information over his shoulder at her.

AN: Well, now we know how to make Selphie lose interest in something... *grins*


	11. Stargate!

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Eleven: Stargate!~**

"Seventh chevron encoded!"  The sergeant called over the noisy rumble of the turning stargate.  Down in the gate room Jack, as always, repressed the urge to duck.  They were well out of range of the deadly explosion of 'bubbles'.  Sam had tried to explain why there was a spike at each end of the gate, something to do with making the pressure the same, but she'd lost him pretty quickly.

He trooped up the ramp, gloomily reflecting that, like as not, this would be another barren planet.  The thought that the other gate might be encased in rock had occurred to him, but, along with some technical explanation, Sam had said it was impossible.  In effect.  Or at least, he hoped she had.

With barely a pause, Jack reached the gate and stepped through.  Closely followed by Sam and Daniel.

***

Jack stepped out into a semi-circle of assorted weaponry, all pointed at him.  "God! I hate it when this happens!"  He cursed.  Moments later he stumbled forwards as first Sam, then Daniel joined him.  The gate closed behind them, and Jack turned to find the rest of the circle.  They were surrounded and hopelessly outnumbered.  

***

The strangers who had appeared didn't speak any language Irvine had ever heard before.  He glanced to one side, seeking confirmation from a SeeD he knew was a linguistics expert.  Not that there were many languages, just Galbadian - which pretty much everyone spoke - Estharian, Shumi and the long disused Centra.  The SeeD shook her head.  They weren't speaking any of those languages.

***

Daniel stared at the people behind the weapons.  None of them was in a uniform - at least, no two were wearing the same - and yet they were acting as a cohesive unit.  "They're children..."  He realised.  

"What?"  Jack demanded, turning to face him.  Daniel gestured at the group surrounding them.

"There can't be anyone here more than nineteen or twenty."  Jack looked again, managing to push his eyes past the eclectic collection of weapons - mainly swords - to the people wielding them.  His eyes were drawn to three figures at the back and to one side.  One, a man, was dressed like a cowboy, and held a large gun in a loose grip.  The other, a woman, was in a uniform of some sort, and had a whip coiled at her side.  The third, another man, looked to be a martial artist of sorts, or at least, he couldn't see a weapon.

"Sir..."  Jack turned to look at Sam, eyebrows raised in query.  "I can't see the dialler anywhere.  I think we're stuck here."

"Great."  He muttered sarcastically.  "Daniel.  You're the language guy.  Can't you get them talking?"

AN: I can't remember what the, uh, dialler thingy's called.  Is it called a dialler?  First I thought it was a controller or something, but then I kinda remembered that they dial in and out of places, so I switched to dialler.  Just my luck that I haven't been paying enough attention lately...


	12. Aliens Woohoo!

AN: u probably guessed from the title - this is Selphie's very own little bit - I do mean little, cause if I write too much Selphie, I'll go Selphie on my mates + that's just too much for them to cope with *grins* - it's bad enough when I go Seifer on them *sniggers*

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Twelve: Aliens - Whoohoo!~**

At first, when everything started shaking, I wondered what the hell was goin on.  But then Odine - he's such a funny little man - started panicking about this gate thingy they've unearthed.  So we both headed for the obs - observation - gallery, cause it was closer than the entrance to the excavation site and we didn't want to miss anything, and I commented that maybe the team'd uncovered a monster like the Ultima weapon that me, Squall and Zell found in the Deep Sea Research Centre.  Hee, Odine really began to worry at that reminder, only, then he pointed out that Ultemecia had to have gotten the Omega weapon from somewhere, and if there were two, there might be a third.  So, I was gettin kinda worried again, cause I knew Irvy was somewhere near the excavation site, and I know Squall, Quistis and Zell had a real hard time takin down the Omega.  Zell reckoned that if Squall hadn't had Eden they'd've all died for sure, but I guess that's because the chickenwuss was sour cause he got KO'd right at the beginning.

Anyways, me and Odine rushed into the obs gallery and the gate was spinning round.  It's, like, these two circles, one inside the other, and the circle with all the groovy designs on it - only Odine calls them hyro-somethings - was spinning round - only slowly though - and every so often it stopped and a little triangle-thingy on the outside circle would glow orange and kinda slide forwards onto a particular design.  It did its thing seven times, so all the triangle-thingies were glowing and pointing to certain hyro-whatsits, and then everything went still.

All the SeeDs were all in a circle around the thing, keeping their distance though, cause like Odine pointed out, if it really was a gate there was no way of knowing what would come through it.  There was no way of knowing if it was gonna be friendly or not either, so Irvy had everyone wearing protects and shells, and fully armed.  I could see him standing at the back with Quistis.  She was still in her dress uniform, so I guess the dizziness hadn't worn off in time for her to change.  I wondered where the chickenwuss was, but then he traipsed in.  Looked like he'd managed to change, and find food - he had half a hot-dog in his hand, but quickly ate it when Quistis glared at him.

It seemed like everything was over, and I was gonna head down to join Irvy and the rest, but then the centre of the two circles exploded with what looked like bubbles.  The bubbles shot out, then vanished back into the circle, which was filled with what looked like water.  It was really weird.  The stuff looked like water, and rippled like water, but it was upright.  Then a person stepped through.

At first I though a SeeD on the other side had been particularly stupid, but then it registered that the guy was in a uniform, and he was old, like, Laguna's age.  I mean, that really ruled out him being a SeeD.  Cid's the oldest 'SeeD' I know, and he doesn't do combat missions, never has, apart from his spell in the Galbadian army.  So there's this one guy, armed, who seems completely unfazed by the fact that there's a dozen SeeDs got their weapons pointed at him, and he looks around and says something.  Then these two others, another guy - this one unarmed - and a woman, who is armed, step through the water.  The woman collides with the first guy, pushing him forward slightly, and the water vanishes behind her.  So the first guy turns round and sees the other SeeDs behind the gate.

It kinda sinks home that these people are alien to our world, are aliens, when I notice that Irvy hasn't made any move towards them.  They can't be speaking our language, otherwise he'd have been talking to them at least, but so far all he's done is stare and then say something to Quistis.  I guess if I want to know what's goin on, I'll have to go down there and find out, but at the same time, I don't wanna miss anything.  I decide that meeting aliens first hand will make up for anything I might miss.  It's not like I haven't met aliens before - there was that cute little PuPu alien who crashed his ship near Balamb and who drank five of my elixirs! - its just, these are human - well, humanoid - like us!

AN: Arrgghh!  Someone rescue me from the grips of an insane Muse Selphie!  Uh, couldn't remember if Daniel goes armed or not, so um, he's kinda come unarmed, but if someone reviews and lets me know that he does normally have a gun then I'll try and find him one *grins*


	13. Go Fetch

AN: the title's just me bein superstitious an all - don't worry I'll get over Selphie soon, I promise - tee hee!

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter TwelveA: Go Fetch~**

Zell wasn't surprised when Selphie, eventually, arrived at a dead run.  In fact, he'd been more surprised to find she wasn't already there, until Irvine explained about the observation room and that she was probably caught in a dilemma over risking missing anything, and meeting aliens first hand.  Not for the first time since he'd arrived at the excavation site, Zell wished Squall - or even Seifer - were there.  Much as he hated to admit it - in Seifer's case - they always knew what to do in a situation, and it always seemed to go right for them.  It was a case of everything they touched turning to gil, and everything he touched turning to dust.

Irvine looked like he had everything under control, bar the fact that neither of the two groups spoke a common language.  Just because he had a tendency to blurt out the first thoughts to arrive in his mind when he was under pressure, Zell thought, didn't mean he wasn't observant.  He'd seen the silent question between Irvine and another SeeD, and even without knowing the SeeD, had figured out that they had to be a linguistics specialist.  Not many had an ear for languages, but fortunately with most of the world speaking Galbadian there was little need for translators.  Even the Shumi could mostly speak Galbadian.  So if a linguist didn't recognise the language, it was unlikely anyone else, even a sorceress, would.  Except, maybe there was a spell or something a sorceress could cast to translate whatever the aliens were saying.

It felt odd calling the three people in front of the artefact aliens.  They looked exactly like anyone else Zell had ever seen, although they looked kinda old for soldiers.  But then again, SeeDs were mercenaries and as such had a lower life expectancy than regular army soldiers, so maybe the three were army.

Zell suddenly caught some of what Irvine was saying to Selphie, and realised the Galbadian had come to the same conclusion as he had.  That a sorceress might be able to help.  Selphie, to her annoyance, was being sent in the Ragnarok to fetch Edea from the orphanage.  Zell wondered, as he watched Selphie stomp off, why Edea hadn't been asked to join them when the thing was discovered.  He turned back around at Irvine's sudden laughter.

***

Daniel shrugged.  "I don't think they're going to let us get anywhere near anyone who might have the education to know more than the main language."  Jack rolled his eyes.

"I'll list the facts.  No one here seems to be wearing the same 'uniform'.  In fact, the only one wearing anything resembling a uniform is one of the three who seem to be in charge.  There is a wide variety of weaponry, most of it swords, knives, stuff like that.  They don't look like an army, so what else could they be...?"  He asked sarcastically.  Daniel frowned.

"You think they're mercenaries?"  Sam asked.  Jack nodded.

"Bingo.  And what does every mercenary require?"  Daniel nodded his realisation.

"At least a rudimentary knowledge of most languages."  He sighed.  "I'll try, but given their reaction I'd say that if there were g'ould on this planet, it was a long time ago."  Jack shrugged.

"I'd say the girl over there, in the blue halter top, probably has the language skills."  Daniel looked at Sam who shrugged.

"OK."  He muttered.  "Guess I can't make more of a fool of myself than I have before."

AN: I know Daniel shouldn't be prejudiced about who knows what language, after all, if you don't know any of the dialects, it's pretty likely that you won't know which the main one is to start with.


	14. In Sickness

AN: I'm trying to keep these chapters short - which isn't really my style, as you'll know when I get round to uploading some of my other fics in progress - so pls 4give me if it seems kinda choppy in style :)

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Fourteen: In Sickness~**

Squall was still struggling to come to terms with the fact that Rinoa now appeared to be an enemy when he heard Seifer groan.  He turned around to find the older man sitting upright, clutching his head with both hands.  As he watched, Seifer peeled one hand away from his skull to grab an elixir from the stool.  

Seifer groaned again as his trembling hand was unable to open the elixir.  The pain in his skull was so intense that even thinking about taking his other hand away wasn't an option.  Cool hands suddenly stole the elixir from his grip, and he moaned a protest, starting to blindly reach for another, only to feel his hand pushed away, and a bottle placed to his lips.  He swallowed convulsively as the bottle was tilted gently and the warming liquid slid into his mouth.  The ache in his skull immediately diminished, and he was able to feebly support himself as he vomited onto the floor.

The cool hands returned, rubbing his back gently, soothing him.  This time the open elixir was pushed into his hands, and he was left to drink it as Squall dealt with the mess on the floor.

Squall fetched the small shovel by the fire and dug a neat hole outside the back of the cabin, before returning, freezing the regurgitated elixir and carrying it on the shovel out to the hole, where he buried it, taking care to ensure the ground when he had finished, looked undisturbed.

Seifer was shivering violently when Squall returned, and although it seemed the headache had gone, his head was boiling, but there was no sweat.  A fever.  Seifer had to be the stubborn bastard he usually was, Squall thought, and get the one thing only time could cure.  Plus there was no food in the cabin, so they couldn't stay there long, not considering Seifer already hadn't eaten for at least two or three days.  

So the next question, Squall mused, hunting for, and not finding, any blankets, was where could they go.  Seifer had managed to struggle out of his trenchcoat, although the effort had exhausted him.  Squall stripped off his own jacket as Seifer began to shiver once more, helping Seifer into it, and then replacing the battered trenchcoat over the top.

His mind was racing, and it leapt into a higher gear as a GF orb rolled across the bed, having fallen from a pocket in the trenchcoat.  He'd always had a high compatibility with every GF he'd had, including Ifrit, which had surprised everyone, including himself and the GF.  Maybe there was some way he could use that affinity to an advantage...

AN: I don't think you'd junction something that steals your memories just to improve your stats, gain a few lousy abilities and one awesome – but quickly tedious – summoning ability.  So, I guess that leaves me buying into the theory that GFs are a lot more versatile – kinda like a quick fix for sorceress abilities, which is how they were developed – and that the powerful ones like Eden can do some really awesome stuff above and beyond their game abilities.


	15. Fever Dreaming

AN: I'm gonna leave story2 hangin for a bit *evil grin* cause I wanna see where story1's goin

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Fifteen: Fever Dreaming~**

Seifer knew, in the part of his mind that was still thinking rationally, that he was delirious.  He also knew that here and now was not a good place or time to be delirious.  Not considering the fact that the pursuit would start in a day - two days at most.  He also knew, to his shame, that he should've realised this could happen, and have left at least food for Squall.  But lack of food might save them, as long as Squall didn't decide to go back to Rinoa to ask for help.

He shook violently, heat overwhelming him, stifling him.  He could feel no sweat, only his trenchcoat weighing him down, making him overheat.  Awkwardly, struggling in his weakness, he managed to get out of its confines, but he was still too hot.  There was only his shirt, and he was too tired to try and remove that.  A sudden wave of cold down his spine made him shiver, only he couldn't stop.  The shivering continued, waves of cold spreading over his body.  Then cool hands, only now they were burning with heat, were forcing his arms into a jacket.  

Seifer felt the fur tickling his neck, and realised that Squall was there, realised that the hands were Squall's hands, and that he was wearing Squall's jacket.  Part of his mind wanted to throw off the welcome touch, to tear away the jacket that he had always longed to wear, to hide his feelings behind a mask of hatred and condescension.  But the other part was too feverish, too delirious, to care what conclusions might be drawn, what might be said in fever-dreams.  His arms were forced into another coat - his trenchcoat he realised - which was drawn close around him.

He began to feel hot again, began to struggle to lose some of the layers, but strong arms wrapped themselves tightly around his thin frame, holding him to someone's chest.  Someone was holding him close, safe, their chin barely on his shoulder, whispering softly that he was going to be alright.  Hair tickled his overheated face, and Seifer realised it was Squall once more.

Adrenaline surged through his body as his mind screamed out in panic that he had to get away, but even as his heart leaped in his chest, responding to the instinct to flee, he relaxed into Squall's chest.  Hell, his rational mind thought, he was unlikely to get this chance again, so he might as well make the most of it.

AN: Will Seifer survive?  Or will the world come crashing around Squall's ears once more?  Short chpt I know, sorry, but I didn't think the longer version worked as well.  Anyway, onto the thanks!

sidhe_ranma: Thankie for the DHD :) and telling me that yes, Daniel does usually have a handgun/zat – I'm not up on the seasons, I just kinda watch the show lol – so at some point he will get a weapon from the ff8 world :)  The SG1 crew will make another appearance in 4/5 chpts, I think, so bear with it.  Once the cast is assembled they'll probably be in almost all the chpts :)

Lady Yuskreven: *glomps* hee, how could I forget mission?  I had so much fun with that surprise, I've gotta find out if there's any more that I can spring :p  And thankie for reviewing this fic, I'm gladdened to discover that people do read my little ANs :)


	16. Into The Valley Of Death

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Sixteen: Into the Valley of Death~**

Laguna was fighting a losing argument with himself.  He knew that Squall had made his decision clear after the Ultemecia business, vanishing with Rinoa was a pretty good indication of how things were, and that he probably never wanted to be dragged into anything ever again.  Laguna thought he'd feel the same if he'd been through all his son had.

But, despite all that, he still felt Squall should know what was going on.  After all, if things got out of hand, Squall was indisputably the best fighter Garden had ever had.  There was no way Ultemecia could've been defeated without him.  Laguna smiled rather smugly.  Like father like son.  There was no way Esthar could've defeated Adel without him either.

Sighing at the inevitable defeat he could see looming on his mental horizons, Laguna turned to Kiros, his constant companion.

"I found Squall."  To his surprise Kiros began to laugh.  "What?!"  Laguna demanded.

"I didn't think you'd be able to keep from telling me for so long."  Kiros admitted.  Laguna's face fell.

"How did you know?"  He asked disconsolately.  Kiros laughed again at the expression on Laguna's face.

"You talk in your sleep.  I've known for about three weeks."  Laguna sighed.

"I guess you know where he is then."  Kiros nodded.

"And who he's with.  Yes.  Am I correct in assuming you want to send a message to him?"  Laguna nodded.

"Yes.  He needs to be told about the Centra excavation site being reopened.  And that Selphie, Irvine, Quistis and Zell have all suddenly been called out there."  Kiros nodded.

"I'll be back before you realise I've gone."  He turned away, halting as Laguna placed a hand on his arm.  Laguna walked around so he was in front of the dark-skinned man, then leaned up and firmly kissed him on the lips.  For a moment they stood, locked together, then with a soft, reluctant sigh, Laguna pulled away.  Kiros grinned, then strode away without a word, or a backwards glance.

***

It didn't take Kiros long, after commandeering one of the prototype landspeeders, to reach the outskirts of the Grandidi forest, and he set off along the broad trail which led to the increasingly popular Chocobo sanctuary.  The sanctuary wasn't where he was heading of course, but it went past where he would turn aside for the remote cabin that Laguna had discovered Squall and Rinoa were hiding in.  With luck he would reach it before noon.

AN: Guess I always thought Laguna was more than he seemed.  Guess there had to be some reason the Shumi and Moombas love him so much, and the fact that he's remained Esthar's president for, hmm, at least 20 years in this fic.


	17. Bloody Phoenix Rising

AN: Extra warning - this chapter contains main character deaths.  I kinda wasn't intending to kill one of these characters, but without givin away too much, they have to die to make another character's character plausible - heck, you'll see what I mean by the end of this chapter.  Btw, the title isn't swearing, but if I explain here u'll know what happens, so I'll explain l8r

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Seventeen: Bloody Phoenix Rising~**

Rinoa/Harena woke as someone entered the clearing.  She was horrified to discover two things, one that it was noon, and the other that Squall was nowhere to be felt.  It wasn't Squall who had entered the clearing, she could tell that immediately, nor was it anyone else she knew well.  Wait, she thought, I do know them.  She closed her eyes, thinking.  Kiros.  So they had been discovered.  She sneered at a mental image of Squall, taunting him for thinking that they would not be found here, under his father's nose.

But Squall was gone, she realised with a twinge of fear.  Squall was gone, and there was no one to defend her should the need arise.  Harena squashed Rinoa's fear with a formless snarl.  Only another day, one more day and she would be invincible.  Rinoa and her petty mortal fears would be destroyed forever, never to hold her back again, and anyone who tried to stand against her would be crushed.  Just for the day had she to maintain her facade.  Just for a day whilst she chafed against the mortal confines that held her captive, and grew furious as she wondered who had dared to steal Squall away from her.  He was hers, he was the best, better than Seifer, whom the other had chosen.  Squall had defeated the other, and that meant he was a worthy knight for her, a worthy mate.

Her fury rose, and she knew she would not be able to maintain the ruse of pregnant, passive Rinoa.  She contemplated forcing her way into the world too early, she would be weaker as a result, but the other was dead, and dead enemies were no threat.  Harena made her decision.

Slowly she felt the thin barrier between herself and life.  A single fingernail, already sharp as a knife, made the first tentative cut, followed by a swift slash and thrust which left Rinoa's vocal chords severed.  The lack of vocal sound would make this much less satisfying, but the mental agony was sheer, electrifying bliss.  Savouring the warm tingling that came with each new mental cry, but forced to take less time than she wished with Kiros lingering outside, Harena cut her way into being, leaving Rinoa voiceless and dying on the floor.

She stretched lazily, watching wisps of power curl like smoke from her extended arms.  Power crackled and flashed in red sparks as she wriggled her fingers.  Embracing her powers, smooth black material slid over her skin, hugging her lithe figure.  A mirror appeared in front of her, and she smiled slowly, seductively, the dress altering so that it covered as little of her flesh as possible, and what little it did cover wasn't hidden by the nearly transparent material.  There was just one final touch, for the moment, to add.

When she was finally satisfied with her looks, Harena headed to the door, to invite her, guest, into the spider's web.

***

As soon as Kiros entered the clearing his instincts began to scream danger at him.  He lingered outside the cabin, uneasy.  His instincts had never let him down before, yet he knew it was only Squall and Rinoa, and possibly Rinoa's child, who were in the cabin.  Still, every sense was screaming that evil beyond imagining lay beyond the door.  He waited outside, wondering why no one had come to investigate.  Rinoa would know he was here, being a sorceress and all, and surely she would have told Squall?  Maybe they were hoping, if they ignored him, that he would go away.

Kiros didn't know how long he had been staring into space, thinking, but he jumped as the door opened.  Fear overwhelmed him, but he was frozen in place.  His mouth dropped open as he took in the clothes, the headdress and the eyes, then he was being compelled forwards.  As the door closed behind him, Kiros knew he would never leave the cabin alive.

AN: I figured Harena would be too pissed at losing Squall to not vent her anger on Kiros - who was the one I didn't intend to kill btw - but I do have to admit to planning Rinoa's death, she doesn't deserve Squall - imo *grins*  The chapter title, as I pointed out, uses the word 'bloody' in a lit. sense - Harena arises from Rinoa's bleeding body etc.


	18. A Twist Of Fate

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Eighteen: A Twist of Fate~**

Squall felt Seifer relax into him, and for a moment his heart leaped in hope, but when he looked he could see that the blond had fallen asleep, exhausted by his struggles.  Reflecting that this was as close as he was likely to get, especially after Seifer recovered - he never even entertained the thought that Seifer might not recover - Squall didn't release his grip.  There was a feeling of comfort, of security, that was reassuring as he held the frail Seifer - truly a fraction of his former self - in his arms.  He'd lost him once, had blamed himself - even though everyone said it wasn't his fault - for not telling Seifer how he felt and letting Ultemecia take him, and had then been forced to fight him.  Squall was determined, if it was at all possible, that he was not going to lose him a second time round, that he was not going to throw it all away by hiding from the truth he was too scared to face.

Even as he felt Seifer suddenly wake in his arms, Squall too became aware of something, someone, outside the cabin.  Normally his instinct would have made him grab lionheart and investigate, but there was no way he was leaving Seifer alone in this condition.  His grip on Seifer loosened, ready to jump up and run for his gunblade if someone came in.  But the moment, the person, passed by the cabin, obviously thinking it not worth investigating.  He sighed in relief, but his determination to move was hardened.  If one person had passed so could another, and the next time they might not be so lucky.

Eden...  He called gently to his GF in his mind, not wishing to summon the fearsome creature, but wishing to attract its attention.  The junction, so flawless as to be invisible to even the strongest sorceress or deepest scan, pulsed with a stronger flow of energy.  It was how Eden communicated, the energy of the junction.  A difficult understanding to master, but so much more meaningful than words or images could ever be, even combined.

I need to get to...  He pictured the guest room in the Estharian Presidential Residence.  There was a long pause as Eden calculated.  Squall rarely asked the GF for such aid, even though Eden was quite capable of manipulating space, and even time.  Finally the reply came.  It could be done, but another powerful GF would be needed, maybe two, as Eden wasn't certain how the earth and air elements would react as it attempted to swap Squall and Seifer for equivalent airspace.

Hoping Seifer's GF - who's orb was swirling with brown shot with silver streaks - would be both powerful enough and knowledgeable enough to compensate for two more GFs, Squall junctioned it.  The junction instantly merged with Eden's, becoming almost seamless, although he'd never junctioned the GF before.

At Eden's warning, Squall hauled Seifer to his feet, supporting his limp weight by looping one of Seifer's arms over his shoulder, and one of his own arms around Seifer's chest.  Quickly, or as quickly as he could with Seifer's dead weight hampering him, Squall made it to the table and grabbed both gunblades, knocking the letter to the floor in the process.  

There was no time to pick it up.  Squall felt the junction in his mind strain, drawing on his own energy, then everything went black.

AN: don't u just hate fate?  If Seifer hadn't been ill, Squall would've investigated and found Kiros, and Kiros wouldn't have died at Harena's hands, and Rinoa might've lived to see the next day *sighs* n'mind *cackles evilly*

Lady Yuskreven: The GF isn't really an integral part of the plot, so I'll let on that it's Hades from Death's Angel (I like my original GF :p) and if u've read that fic then you'll get the earth/air ref :)


	19. Breaking The Barriers

AN: what's happened to Squall and Seifer? - u'll just have to wait and see *cackles evilly*

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Nineteen: Breaking the Barriers~**

For a moment, as someone burst out laughing, Daniel thought he'd found a language someone understood.  So far he'd tried g'ould, and most of the Egyptian variations he knew, and had moved on to trying words from other languages that he could remember, all with no luck.  But one glance at the person who was laughing, who turned and commented to the uniformed woman, who threw her hands up in despair, and he realised that he'd been recognised as a linguist.  So, no luck there.  He turned back to the girl in front of him.  She was frowning, then, as his attention returned to her, she tapped the sword and said something, slowly and clearly.

"Gleirt."  She tapped the sword again.  "Gleirt."  She repeated.  Daniel looked at the sword.

"Gleert?"  He asked, struggling with the liquid vowels in the centre.

"Gleirt."  She repeated, emphasising the liquid sound between the hard consonants of the beginning and end.

"Gleeirt."  Daniel was pleased when she nodded.  "Sword."  He said, pointing at it.  "Sword."

"Sword."  The girl repeated, perfectly.  Daniel was surprised.  She laughed at his expression, but clearly didn't have the words or actions to explain the ease with which she had copied him.  She pointed to another sword and then her own.  "Gleirten."  The plural?  Daniel wondered.

"Gleeirthun."  There was another pleased nod.  "Swords."  Daniel pointed to three swords, one after the other.  She nodded understanding.

"Gleirten, swords."

***

Irvine turned to Zell and Quistis, letting them in on the joke.  Both sides had linguists, and neither knew any language common to each other.  Not that Irvine found that particularly surprising, but on a basic level it was rather amusing.  Neither Quistis nor Zell seemed to see it the same way.  Quistis threw her arms up in disgust, and Zell rolled his eyes heavenwards.  Irvine sighed.

"We can't stand around here all day.  I mean, surely if they haven't attacked now, they're not going to."  Quistis shrugged.

"I wouldn't attack under this situation if I was in their place.  But that might change if the situation changed."  Irvine shook his head.

"For once Quistis, I'm going to have to use my rank."  He told her firmly.  Turning away from the gate, he strode to the wall where the communications were.  Holding down a single button he crisply issued his orders.  "This is Trabian Headmaster Irvine Kinneas.  All persons in the excavation complex are to assume defensive conditions.  We are not, repeat NOT, under attack, however, we do have guests of uncertain standing, so protects, shells and a junction are a must.  Weapons are to be carried at all times, but in the event of an incident defensive magic only.  Any SeeD found contravening these orders will immediately be lowered two ranks and docked a months pay.  Any civilians contravening these orders and found without a SeeD escort will be fined and confined to quarters for the duration."  He released the button and strode back to Quistis and Zell.

Ignoring them, he gestured at the circle of SeeDs.

"And where exactly are you going to take them?"  Quistis enquired frostily.  Irvine shrugged.

"I thought maybe the canteen.  Could be thirsty work coming through that thing."  He waved again at the SeeDs, and a small group of six detached themselves.  After a moment's thought he whistled and motioned for the linguistics SeeD to swap with another in the group.  "The two linguists can tell each other what everything's called while we wait for Edea."

AN: Time for Irvine to show why Cid and Squall pushed him into the position of Headmaster of Trabia...  Besides the obvious, Selphie's there, and Irvine has the temperament to be a Headmaster (imo) – not so sure about Selphie bein commander of Trabia though... Muse Selphie must have slipped that in... *grins*


	20. Hangin On

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Twenty: Hangin On~**

It was late evening by the time Selphie returned.  Two breaches had been made in the language barrier.  One, mathematical and scientific, was being worked on by Sam and Dr Odine, who had built, between them, a periodic table of elements, and were now working through such things as the volume of a sphere.  Irvine couldn't really see where that would go, it wasn't as if you could have a conversation based on numbers, well, unless you were just talking numbers for their own sake, which the two seemed to be doing.

The other was being worked on by Tira and Daniel.  They had covered most of the items in the canteen - including poss/en (cup/s), mefel/len (table/s) and even the solden (floor) - and had wandered off to name more items around the excavation site, but Irvine guessed that even that system would still involve a lot of charades and gestures, and would be completely open to misinterpretation.

The other one of the three who had come through the gate, the one who seemed to be the leader was looking like he felt, as Irvine did, completely useless.

When Selphie bounced into the room Irvine stood, looking for Edea.  There was no one there.  He raised an enquiring eyebrow at Selphie.  She shrugged, but for once had the sense to walk over to where he was before announcing her news.

"Edea wouldn't come.  She just said something about Hyne returning and the gateway having been opened."  She frowned at the cryptic message.  "Oh yeah," she added.  "Cid said there's only two people can cast that sort of spell, and if we find the wrong one we're in deeper shit than we were with Ultemecia."  Irvine frowned.

"Cid actually said that?"  He asked suspiciously.  Selphie shook her head.  "So he actually said...?"

"That no sorceress can cast that sort of spell, but a venefica-non-elementum-something can.  He also said that there's two types, and you never get one without the other being somewhere around, and one is evil trying to be good, and the other is, um, evil out of good, I think."

"Great."  Irvine rolled his eyes.  "So all we gotta do is find someone who can tell use what a venefica-non-elementum is, then we can guess at the last part, then we can try and find the one that's trying to be good..."  He trailed off and stared at Selphie.  "Holy fuckin Hyne!"  He exclaimed.  "The training centre!"

AN: Yup, Irvine manages to put two and two together.  *sighs*  Selphie came back...  I couldn't think of a way to keep that part of the plot (?) goin without bringing her back, so back she came.  N'mind, maybe I can lose her somewhere else...  Can't kill her, cause I'll get murdered by rampaging selvine fans, and I might do them a lemon later, maybe...  No promises...  If anyone wants to write me a Selphie/Irvine lemon then I'll willingly include it, somewhere... :)


	21. Phoenix In The Night

AN: Martine's in for a surprise... *giggles insanely* - it's late, I've been drinking, I'm allowed to go mad :p

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p). FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read. Character death. Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Twenty-One : Phoenix in the Night~**

Yarege mounted the black chocobo with a feeling of uncertainty. She knew there was 'the other' out there somewhere, knew they had forced their way into the world. In a way that was good, it meant she already had an advantage of strength, but it might also be bad. It might also mean that the other knew she was still alive and had caught Seifer trying to lure Squall away.

That would be disastrous, at least, it would be annoying. Plans would have to be re-made, actions re-thought. But she was immortal, and there was no length of time she could not wait, no extreme of patience that she could not cross to bring her one step closer to the elimination of the other. Of course, there was the fact that the game they were playing involved the lives of many mortals, and the other would try to use that against her, but she was stronger than the other thought. At least, she hoped she was.

Automatically she had turned the chocobo, heading for the sleeping Garden. She knew about the cameras, knew she would be seen, but she didn't care. Tonight would be the last night she visited the Garden's training centre to take her sustenance from the screams of T-Rexaurs reduced to writhing, bloodsoaked lumps before she finished them. The gateway had been opened, someone, something, had come through. Tomorrow she would find Seifer, find if he still lived and had been successful, or if the other had struck the first blow.

She urged the chocobo faster, revelling in the feel of wind on her face, blowing her long ebony hair out behind her. The journey ended far too soon, although the chocobo was beginning to flag. Yarege dismounted, calling a pile of food into being for the chocobo whilst she hobbled it. Then, after posing for the infra-red camera in the side of the Garden, she quickly scaled the wall.

Once inside the training centre, Yarege noted the new positions of the surveillance cameras. It didn't bother her to know that she was being watched. If they had the sense to keep away everything would be fine. 

***

Considering the surveillance would only be for a few days - or so Martine hoped - he had decided to maintain a constant presence in the room where the live video feedback was being displayed. So he was one of the first to notice the woman who dismounted from a black chocobo. All attention switched to the two monitors showing the infra-red feedback. There was a collective gasp as the food materialised in front of the chocobo. Martine nodded grimly. A sorceress. They seemed determined to plague Garden and SeeD, although, given the original purpose of SeeD, maybe that wasn't such a surprise.

He sighed, not surprised that she posed for the camera. Clearly, if she was a sorceress, she would know of the cameras, either through whatever methods sorceresses managed to know things you didn't want them to, or through observation. It was entirely possible that she'd watched every move of the SeeDs that morning, probably laughing silently at their antics. He wondered though, why she was allowing herself to be seen. Maybe she was inviting them to attack her - which either meant she was far stronger than they could cope with, or over confident - or maybe she didn't care because after tonight she wasn't coming back. He sincerely hoped it was the latter. 

Martine turned away, leaving the others in the room to gawp at the woman now on multiple cameras in the training centre. Suddenly a cadet rushed into the room, clutching a sealed envelope. He skidded to a halt in front of Martine and held out the envelope wordlessly. Distracted by the fact that there was a sorceress in the Garden and he appeared to be powerless to do anything, Martine took it and waved the cadet out of the room.

AN: I don't think there's too much actually happens in this chapter... *peers blurrily at text* fact, this chapter probably is a good example of why I shouldn't be writing at 3am with four empty cans of cider and a bottle of wine (also empty) behind me – and that's just the stuff after I got in... @~@

Lady Yuskreven: *grins* yup, that letter could cause trouble if it falls into the wrong hands :p And poor Laguna is still unaware that Kiros is dead ;_; not much goin on at the mo all around, cept Irvine showin a sterner side :)

Honor: thankie for the DHD :) I really should pay more attention *sighs* guess I'm just too busy sympathysin with Jack when the goin gets technical ;p glad u like the fic, hope this update was soon enough 4 u :) 


	22. Dancing With Death

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Twenty-Two: Dancing with Death~**

Martine read the note with increasing disbelief.  It was an order from Irvine to go and confront the sorceress.  Had Irvine and Selphie known all along that it was a sorceress who was responsible for the screams?  Was that why their surveillance had been firmly directed inwards, to prevent an accidental confrontation?  Was that why the sorceress had been so unconcerned by the cameras?  He crumpled the paper, incinerating it with a fire spell as he had been instructed.

Well, if he wasn't killed in the line of duty, perhaps his actions would still be viewed in a favourable light.  Of course, if he was killed by the sorceress he wasn't really going to care how his actions were viewed.

***

Yarege chose her victim quickly, wondering when Martine would pluck up the courage to walk into the training centre.  It wasn't difficult, not with her power, to steal the thoughts from his mind even as they occurred to him, although there was a fair distance between them.  The fact that the SeeDs in Centra knew about her was not overly worrying, clearly someone had spoken to Edea - the only sorceress in the area.  She found it quite amusing that Martine and everyone else who had seen her thought her only to be another of Hyne's daughters.  They had no idea how powerful she truly was, what she truly was, and who she would become.

The T-Rexaur didn't last long, but she had been gorging on the death screams of the creatures for almost two weeks, and she was nearing a comfortable state of satiation.  She felt Martine hovering at a respectable distance, could taste his revulsion at the state of the T-Rexaur's carcass and the stench of the charred flesh.  Yarege grinned to herself.  It was almost like a pleasantly light snack just to finish the main meal off.

"Um, excuse me..."  Martine was instantly ashamed of the tremor and high pitch to his voice.  The sorceress didn't turn around, but she shifted slightly, drawing herself up.  Steam seemed to be rising from her arms, just faint enough for him not to know if it was real or his imagination.

"What if I don't want to go?"  The question, clearly in response to the unspoken thought, caught Martine off-guard, as it was meant to.  Out of his sight, Yarege licked her lips, the sour, biting tang of fear contrasting pleasantly with sweet confusion.

"I, um, well, ah..."  Martine stammered.  Yarege sighed.

"I will visit Centra when I decide it is time.  Until then they will simply have to improvise."  She grinned, and turned to face him.  Martine found himself grinning back.  "Tell them to tell Edea 'the light of lights is not diminished in the light, and all light shines against the dark'."

He nodded foolishly, then turned and walked out of the training centre.  Yarege sighed again, the grin falling from her face.  Perhaps it was a good thing that Martine had no idea what his words would begin.

AN: what has Martine gotten into?  what will happen to SG1 in Centra?  Maybe I'll tell u in the next chapter, maybe not...


	23. Just A Dream

AN: I'm gonna b cruel to Martine and leave him not knowing what's goin on - mainly cause I don't - and I'm gonna let Squall and Seifer off the cliff - I guess they've been hanging there long enough

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Twenty-Three: Just a Dream?~**

Squall woke in a bed, a damp cloth across his forehead.  For a moment his mind flashed back through time, and he half expected Dr Kadowaki to appear and lecture him on fighting Seifer...  Seifer.  Where was Seifer?  He sat up, irritably throwing the damp cloth to one side as it slid over his eyes.  Now he was upright Squall could see that he was in a bedroom, one of the guest rooms in Laguna's mansion if he was precise.  Across the room was another bed, with Seifer in it.  The blond appeared to be quite comfortable, not tossing and turning in a fever dream, and looking, if anything, slightly less skeletal.

Squall stood, using the headboard of the bed to steady himself when his legs wavered.  He wondered how long he'd been in the bed for his legs to be so weak.  Pulling a sheet around his nakedness - purely because he didn't know who might walk in - he padded over to Seifer's bed.  The blond was scrunched up in a foetal position, around - Squall was amazed to discover - his own jacket.  Seifer's trenchcoat was nowhere to be seen, but obviously in his fever delirium he'd latched onto Squall's fur collared jacket and had refused to let go.

"Bout time you got up."  Squall spun around at the sudden voice, losing his balance and falling onto the edge of Seifer's bed.  The blond groaned and shifted.  Immediately Squall started to stand, aiming to retreat to the safety of his own bed, across the room, but his legs turned traitor and refused to take any weight.  The old woman at the back of the room chuckled at his efforts.

"Oh, I shouldn't worry about moving dear.  If he," she pointed at Seifer with a knitting needle, "loves you as much as he loves your jacket, he won't complain."  Squall stopped trying to get up at her words.  He'd never really allowed himself to entertain the thought that perhaps, just perhaps, Seifer might love him as much as he loved Seifer.  He'd shied away from everything that had happened so far, explaining everything away with logic.

"It was a fever dream."  He stated firmly, unaware that Seifer was awake behind him.  "That's all.  Just...a fever dream."  His voice nearly cracked at the end.

Seifer felt his heart sink as Squall made it quite clear that he considered Seifer's actions the product of delirium, nothing more.  OK, so most of them had been, but not the jacket.  He'd fought tooth and nail with the old hag in the corner to retain the jacket, and she'd only desisted after he'd blurted out that he wasn't going to lose Squall again.  Of course, she would have to know exactly who Squall was, wouldn't she, and now it appeared that she was trying to play matchmaker.  He was grateful for her efforts, but it seemed like there was nothing, from Squall's point of view, going on.

The old woman cackled at Squall's statement, and picked up her knitting before rising slowly to her feet.

"Laguna's gone to Centra, so there's no one except me in the place.  If you want anything you'll have to find it yourselves seeing as I'm deaf as a post."  She winked at him then slowly walked to the door, where she paused and looked back at Squall and Seifer, who was still feigning sleep.  "If you don't wager anything, you'll lose it all.  Forever.  And that'd just wouldn't do."  She walked out.  "I've never seen two more made for each other..."  The comment drifted around the edge of the door just as it closed.

AN: Hee...  Who was that old woman?  Cause she really reminds me of Noranti...  Just before you start screaming "yes/no (delete as applicable) it's gonna cross with farscape too!"  No it's not (on the same subject – how could they axe farscape???  :O – I could rant for hours, but I won't bore you... :)), so you can all cry "nooo!/hooray! (delete as applicable)"  If you're not into farscape, you probably have no idea what the hell that was all about, but if you're not into farscape, why the hell not?  Farscape is the ultimate sci-fi show AND I CAN'T BELIEVE THEY'VE AXED IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (sorry) :(


	24. Blood, Sweat And Tears

AN: Warning, yaoi - guy-guy sex, Squall x Seifer. If u don't like, don't read. If u don't like and u still read, don't come complaining to me, cause u was warned what was coming - as it were ;P

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p). FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read. Character death. Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...) Uh, should the fact that this is a teaser be a warning?

**~Chapter Twenty-Four: Blood, Sweat and Tears~**

Squall shot a sideways glance at Seifer, who wasn't quite quick enough closing his eyes. He frowned, and grabbed his jacket.

"I'll have this back now, shall I? Before you throw it at me." He stood, attempting to take the jacket with him, but fell back onto the bed again as Seifer refused to relinquish his own hold.

"No." The word was soft, almost beyond hearing, but the denial was screamed in every line of Seifer's body.

"What?" Squall asked incredulously, hope softening the roughness of his voice. Seifer clenched his jaw, summoning up the courage to say what he had longed to say for a long time. "What?" Squall demanded again, more harshly this time, wondering if Seifer were stringing him along for a fall. Furious at himself for not being able to say a few simple words, Seifer's temper snapped.

"Dammit I said 'no' Squall." He rolled over as he spoke and sat up with a speed that surprised both of them. Seifer recovered first. Clutching the jacket in one hand, he used the other to pull Squall close enough for him to kiss the brunette.

For a moment Squall's cool lips were unresponsive, then his mouth opened and surrendered to Seifer's probing tongue. Desire surged through them both like an electric shock. The kiss became fiercer, more demanding, both wanting more. Squall pulled his jacket from between them, a gesture unprotested by Seifer. After all, what was the jacket when he had its owner? 

They both gasped for air as they broke the kiss, feverishly fighting with their respective sheets, the only barriers between their naked bodies. With the sheets went all barriers, all inhibitions, all rational thought.

AN: Sorry if u were expecting more, the next chapter is all lemon... – and it's overrated (i.e. NC-17) - thus if you want the lemon, ur either gonna hafta e-mail me personally (put LEMON in the Re: section), or review with a request and leave ur e-mail (btw. The file is in html format – if u want it in txt/word/other formats just ask and I'll see what I can do :p). Please, if you're not old enough to be reading this stuff, don't ask for it, cause I'm takin it on trust that anyone who requests the chapter is old enough to do so. Everyone who's now screaming But we'll lose the plot!' don't panic, the fic reads fine without the lemon, just carry on reading :)

Lady Yuskreven: Darn! Discovered! I wondered how long it would b b4 someone queried the constant updates of 3 chapters... *laughs nervously* Hyne's Return was actually started probably a year before I actually got an ff.net account, it was, well, a willpower test kinda thing, to see whether I could write a chapter each morning before I went to college, so preeety soon I'm gonna run out of chapters and actually have to start writing again *grins* the updates will still (I hope) be fairly regular, but more along the lines of one or two chapters at a time ;)


	25. Thinkin Of You

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

AN: Anyone wondering what the hell happened to the lemon, go back to the last chpt and READ THE AN AT THE END

**~Chapter Twenty-Five: Thinkin' of You~**

Seifer and Squall woke still entangled with one another.  There were only two additions to the room.  One was the sheet over them both.  The other was the tall young woman, calmly drinking something whilst looking out of the window across the city of Esthar.  It was dawn, early enough for no one to be up yet, but late enough for the first rays of light to have woken both men.  

"What the fuck?!"  Seifer exclaimed, tensing, then Squall felt him relax again.  "Oh.  It's you."  The figure at the window nodded, but didn't turn around.

"Little people krawling around like ants.  So insignifikant, but without them..."  Squall stiffened.

What in Hyne's name is going on?  He wondered, alarmed.  The woman sounded like Ultemecia had, the same problem pronouncing c's.

"Yarege, stop winding Squall up.  I didn't go through what I have to get him back, just for you to drive him away again!"  Seifer's voice rose in anger.

Dammit, I wish she wouldn't do that!

Oh fuck...  Squall thought, his suspicions confirmed when Seifer twisted to look at him sharply.  I really heard that.

Squall?  Seifer thought.  He wasn't an entire stranger to telepathy, not since Ultemecia had preferred thinking to speaking, hiding her speech impediment.

Seifer?  What's going on?

"Yarege?"  Seifer asked harshly, demanding an explanation.  The woman turned from the window, dazzling Squall with her beauty, power and sheer elegance.  She sighed, and the cup vanished.  Squall stiffened again.

She's a sorceress?!  He exclaimed.

"No, I'm not a sorceress," she paused.  "Well, not as such."  She stopped and shrugged.  Then changed the topic completely.  "We have to get to Centra as soon as possible."  With that Yarege walked out of the room, leaving both Squall and Seifer in a state of bewilderment.

Moments later, their clothes – cleaned – appeared on the bed.  With an exchange of resigned shrugs, both men took the hint, and began to dress.

AN: Well that twist took me by surprise too.  I was thinking dirty thoughts for Seifer...

Seifer: I can think my own dirty thoughts!

A: Yes, but you wouldn't tell me what they were, so I had to make some up.

Seifer: If I had told you, this fic - currently (struggling to stay) R - would've become X-rated, never mind NC-17. *smirks at images suddenly in author's head*

A: *runs three times round field and dives into cold shower* Anyway, sorry this chpt is so short, but I'm just putting the breaks where they feel most fitting, plus I've got to try and stop thinking in terms of Access commands...  IT coursework really sucks...


	26. Degenerator

AN: another crazee title I know - it's early, for me - 7am O.o, I don't wake up til bout 9pm - which kinda sucks for working at college

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u aint heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Twenty-Six: Degenerator~**

Laguna arrived in Centra to scenes of complete chaos.  Once, when it had been the resting place of lunatic pandora, Esthar had built semi-organic robots to aid its soldiers in defence - the Gespers and Elastoids.  The idea had been that once the replicating creatures had gotten themselves established, the soldiers could withdraw.  Of course, Laguna mused, he, Kiros and Ward had managed to accidentally corrupt the central data-core controlling the friend/foe recognition systems of the machines.  The Estharian soldiers had been driven out, and the Gespers and Elastoids had taken over anyway.

It was one of the reasons so many SeeDs had been posted there.

After a few minutes random drifting through the milling SeeDs, Laguna managed to find the person he was looking for.  Irvine.  The Trabian headmaster was standing in a 'Squall' pose, arms folded, with a resigned frown of irritation on his face.  He was, however, paying attention to something in front of him.

"Irvine!"  The younger man turned as Laguna shouted, and he was struck by how worn the SeeD looked.  With a brief aside to someone Laguna couldn't see, Irvine unfolded his arms and strode over.

"Laguna."  He frowned.  "What brings you here?"  This time Laguna frowned.

"I got your message.  Said to come immediately, so I did."  Irvine rolled his eyes and turned away.

"SELPHIE!"  He bellowed.  Laguna winced.  He'd never heard Irvine shout before, had always assumed that he was a mild-mannered, laid back guy.  But then, he'd thought Squall was quiet until they'd gotten into the blistering row about what was happening to Rinoa.  He often wondered if that was what had driven Squall and Rinoa into hiding.

Selphie bounded into view, a change coming over her the minute she saw Irvine's expression, and Laguna standing behind him.  All bounce gone out of her step, she walked hesitantly towards them.

"What's Sir Laguna doing here, Irvine?"  She asked, curiosity and worry large in her wide brown eyes.  Irvine frowned at her, unable to see any lie to her surprise.

"Well if you didn't send him a message, and I didn't send him a message, that's a bloody good question."  His frown deepened as he spotted Quistis and Zell making their way over.  "You two are supposed to be keeping things under control."  He snapped.

"What happened?"  Laguna asked, nearly wilting under Irvine's glare.  Then  he remembered who he was, and standing straighter, glared right back.  "What happened."  He repeated, more forcefully.  Sensing that the last thing the situation needed was for the two most important people in the room to start fighting, Quistis stepped in.

"We have some, visitors, from through the gate.  A Gesper wandered in and someone panicked."  She shrugged.  "Nine times out of ten a fire spell's all you need to take out a Gesper..."

"Let me guess, this was the tenth."  Laguna interrupted.  Quistis nodded.

"Gesper got pissed, cast degenerator at one of our guests."  Zell continued.  "In the confusion, from what we can tell, another SeeD pushed the guest out of the way and was killed..."

"By the degenerator spell."  Laguna finished, nodding.  "Oh."  He sighed.  "Sounds like an unfortunate accident, so why all the fuss?"

AN: why all the fuss indeed?  I'll let them tell u when I know...  *giggles* - sorry, still only 7.40am *sighs*  This chapter didn't go how I wanted...  *sulks*  Still, got the main scene and questions across... :)


	27. Coming Together

AN: I've just realised this story has no plot - or at least, not one I know about...

Quistis: That's impossible.  It's got a beginning, a middle, and... and, um, 

Zell:  Hey!  There's no end!

Seifer: *smirks* That's cause it's still being written - chickenwuss

Zell: DON'T CALL ME THAT!

Seifer + Squall: *sniggers*

A: *packs muses into suitcase - destination Timbuktu* So, no plot and no end.  Guess I'd better continue with the middle til inspiration - or an irate muse fresh from Timbuktu - strikes

Rating: R (I tried to keep it lower, but it just wasn't destined to happen - unlike other things [which are responsible for the rating])

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS - Yaoi (guyxguy) later - if u don't like, don't read.  Character death.  Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Twenty-Seven: Coming Together~**

Irvine shook his head and turned away.  The president of Esthar had a remarkable capacity for missing the obvious.  Like the fact that the incident had resulted in the standoff  Laguna had skirted round the edge of.  He silently cursed the language barrier preventing them from explaining that they were SeeDs, they lived by the sword and usually died by the sword, as it were.  But somehow - although he didn't think the visitors would be entirely comfortable with the knowledge that to die defending someone was the end most SeeDs dreamed of – Irvine had the strangest sensation that the Gesper was just coincidental to the events taking place.  

He was jolted from his thoughts as a messenger ran up with a sealed document and handed it silently to him.  Irvine took it and waved the messenger away, absently tearing the document open as he surveyed the scene.

The 'visitors' were huddled in a group – the linguist not looking too happy, which might've had something to do with the fact that he was unarmed – and the leader showed no signs of backing down anytime soon.  The body language of the other two made it clear that, however much they disagreed with the situation, they would back their leader up whatever.  Irvine's patience – rarely tested this far – was rapidly vanishing under the continual assault of stupidity, as Laguna had discovered.

He looked down at the message, reading it once, then again to check he had read it correctly.  A frown creased his brow.

"Selphie."  She appeared, as if by magic, from behind him.  "I need you to take this to Edea."  He handed her the document, which she took and, predictably, read.  Or tried to read.  Whether the communications SeeD who had taken the message had asked Martine to spell the unintelligible words, or whether they had just scribbled down the phonetic breakdown, it was impossible to say.  He just hoped Edea would be able to understand the gist of it.

"What's it mean Irvy?"  Irvine rolled his eyes, although, for once, not at Selphie's question.  If Laguna was master of missing the obvious, Selphie was queen of asking questions about it.  He frowned as he realised that she had called him Irvy again.  Rolling his eyes, he decided that he really had to do something about breaking her of that habit.  Calling him Irvy when they were alone in their shared quarters was fine, but as headmaster he had a public image to maintain.

"I don't know.  I just want you to take it, give it to Edea, and see what happens.  At a guess I'd say she's being told it's OK to come here."  Selphie shrugged and darted off.  Irvine sighed in relief.  For a while, at least, he didn't have to continually worry about what the hyperactive brunette was up to behind his back.

***

"That 'kid' saved your life Jack."  Daniel pointed out for about the tenth time.

"I don't want to hear it Daniel, unless you can say it in their language."  He felt Sam shrug behind him.

"But sir, if they are mercenaries…"

"Magic.  Equals.  G'ould."  Jack snarled across the start of her theory.

"Not always…"  Daniel pointed out.  He stopped, suddenly noticing just how out of character O'Neill was acting.  "Are you alright Jack?"  He queried, frowning, then pushing his glasses back up his nose as they slipped.  He noticed Sam shoot him a quick glance out of the corner of her eyes.  It was relief that he saw, relief and confirmation.  Jack O'Neill was not acting himself, and, given the things SG1 had encountered in their time, there could be any number of reasons for that.  Unfortunately, there was no way to ascertain exactly which one of those reasons it was, but, Daniel didn't think that it was just a mood swing.

***

Just as Daniel and Sam were beginning to think that they would have to do something drastic, like abandoning their colonel – albeit temporarily until he regained his senses – an unearthly silence seemed to spread through the room.  It rolled over them with the force of a physical wave, each individual feeling the unmistakable pressure as it passed, and hearing the absolute absence of noise as it left them behind.

It was almost like a silence spell, except, the slight shuffling of shoes and rustling of clothes as SeeDs shifted uneasily was not audible.  Then there was the aura of expectation that had flashed into being.  No one in the room had been fortunate to have such an upbringing that they didn't expect the worst under these conditions.  Fortunately for the SG1 team, they didn't know exactly what they might be up against.

They were about to find out.

The sound of footsteps, loud and echoing in the unnatural silence, were clearly heard by all.  The seeming echo of a second set was added, bringing a sense of disorientation to the already detached atmosphere.

***

Jack, Daniel and Sam were no longer the focus of attention, but it hardly mattered.  They too were transfixed by events.

Time, which no one had noticed as it too slowed in fascination, suddenly snapped back to normality as two figures appeared in the wide entrance to the room.

"Squall...?"  Quistis murmured, just as Irvine muttered "Seifer..." in a tone that also added, 'why am I not surprised?'.  SG1, blissfully unaware of the recent history of the planet, failed to read the deeper undertones, but recognised all too well that one person who had just appeared was welcome, whilst the other was not.

***

The tension level in the room flashed to boiling point as a third figure appeared behind them.

"A sorceress..."  Quite who had growled the identification wasn't clear, but every SeeD reacted.  Bodies spun to face the new threat, the SeeDs behind SG1 rapidly fanning out to gain a clear line of fire on the woman.  Projectile weapons were raised to ready stances, melee weapons to defensive positions, their owners running through a list of spell reactions, making last second tweaks to junctions, and all, without exception, holding the start of their most powerful summoning in the forefront of their minds.

***

Squall and Seifer didn't move as the SeeDs, as one, automatically turned their weapons towards the sorceress.  Both were armed, although they had not drawn their weapons, but they had already planned their actions.  Besides, Yarege was more than capable of protecting all three of them, as they both knew.

"Stand down."  Squall ordered.  His voice still quiet, still calm, still as it had always been.  It was the voice all of the SeeDs in the room had trusted and followed through the third sorceress war against Ultemecia, and the one they would still follow to the jaws of hell and back.  Or not.  It was the voice of the young SeeD commander that any SeeD who had survived the war against Ultemecia would willingly die for.  Every weapon in the room was lowered, except three.

"Stand fast!"  Irvine shouted.  "You are no longer commander Squall!"  Squall's expression didn't change.

"I don't recall ever being dismissed.  I am still SeeD commander, and in the field I outrank you, Headmaster."  Irvine frowned.

"Where have you been Squall?  It's been three years!"  Quistis finally exclaimed.

"Nice to see you too, Instructor, Chickenwuss..."  Seifer drawled, bored by the lack of attention he was receiving.  He received a mental clout over the head from Squall.

Stick to the plan.  Seifer frowned sullenly.  And stop pouting.  Seifer repressed the urge to whip out Hyperion and smack his lover over the head with it.  He did *not* pout.

"All right."  Irvine finally accepted that whether Squall actually still held the rank or not, none of the SeeDs present were going to fight him.  "But what's *she* doing here?"

I'll answer for myself thank you.  Squall closed his mouth firmly on the explanation.

"Martine said you were in need of an interpreter."  With that, Yarege made a complex gesture, hidden behind Squall and Seifer, and blue lines of power began to leap from her to everyone in the room.

***

Weapons were immediately brought back to bear on the sorceress, although for those where Squall appeared in their line of fire, there was a great deal of hesitation.  

Now you get to hog the limelight...  Squall mentally muttered to his lover.  Seifer thought about various responses to the comment, but settled for stepping forwards with a condescending frown on his face.

"Stop being such a fucking idiot, Cowboy."  He resisted the impulse to call the Trabian Headmaster by his name.  That might cause an interesting point of confusion, but his task at this point was to occupy the three SeeDs who had learnt that your foe sometimes used to be a friend.

"Oh yeah?  And we're supposed to trust the sorceress' knight?"  Irvine growled back, taking a threatening step forwards.  Seifer, as ever, refused to retreat, and advanced again, hand falling to the hilt of Hyperion in an implicit threat.

"You chose the wrong side last time Seifer.  How are we to know that you haven't made the same mistake?"  Quistis stepped between the two men, trying to prevent the fight that looked inevitable.  The blond in question glowered briefly at her, then switched his glare to Zell.

"What's the matter, chickenwuss?  Unlike you not to add your two Gils worth."  Zell glared back, the air seeming to shimmer with the fierceness of their gazes.  Finally he snorted.

"You haven't changed Seifer.  Stop being such an ass, or do you want to get kicked from here to Trabia?"  Seifer threw his head back and laughed.

"You couldn't beat me in a fair fight if you tried!"

"Oh, so you do know what a fair fight is then?"  Irvine interrupted sarcastically.

"At least I have the guts to get up close for a kill, *sniper*..."  Irvine took two quick steps towards the blond, only stopping because Quistis was in his way.  The blonde rolled her eyes and took a deep breath, praying to Hyne for patience, and an anti-testosterone drug.

"Cut it out!  Both of you!  Is this really the impression you want to give our visitors?"

OK Seifer, we're all clear.  Seifer smiled sweetly, both at Squall's statement, and in anticipation of the events to follow his next statement.

"What visitors?"

"For the love of Hyne, Seifer!"  Zell roared.  "Those..."  He cut off, mid shout, as he whirled and discovered that there were only the four of them in the excavation site.

***

AN: arrgh!  apologies for the whole chpt.  It isn't (imo) one of the best I've written, but what with packing my recalcitrant muses off to Timbuktu, I kinda ran out of plot, and now I have to figure out what I was planning – again :(

I think it got better towards the end *grins* Anyway, two questions (to those who pay more attention to the detail of stargate than me ^~^) what, if it was ever revealed, was the name of Jack O'Neill's son? (the one who shot himself), and also, Sam Carter befriends another energy being (ala Oma Desala), but I can't remember his name *rolls eyes at self* if ne one can answer either (or both) of those questions, then pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease review and tell me :)  cookies to all who answer *pleads*


	28. A New Plot

AN: OK, I'm sure I *did* have a plot, but I seem to have lost it @~@ lol So if n e 1 spots glaring continuity errors, i.e. where I've said somethin earlier that gets contradicted later, please let me know so I can alter the new plot to fit :) thankie.  Btw, yes, that does mean that this fic now has an end (somewhere :p)

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Twenty-Eight: A New Plot~**

As soon as Seifer stepped forwards and began to harangue Irvine, Quistis and Zell, Squall motioned to Yarege to slip away.  She did so, quirking an eyebrow at the escalating argument that was providing the diversion to the actions they had planned.

Squall, making no noise that would attract the attention of the four in the centre of the room, used the standard field hand-signals to gather the SeeDs in the room to him.  There were only two ways into the excavation site, and the terrain around those entrances had been painstakingly flattened to offer no dead ground for an attacking force.  With that in mind, and knowing that they needed as much advance warning as they could possibly obtain, Squall picked two relay teams of sharp eyed, long legged SeeDs and instructed them to junction their GFs for long-range picket duty.  After some GF shuffling amongst the SeeDs present, so that each runner had the appropriate junctions and abilities, they were sent on their way.

Advance warning was fine, but that had to be backed up with defences and defenders.  A quick question and brief pause to compare relative GF strengths, and the SeeDs split into two groups, roughly equal in capabilities.  Squall sent one to each entrance, keeping twelve of the 35 in reserve.  To the twelve forming the reserve he mentally added the seven guarding the visitors, giving him a reserve force of 19 level six and higher SeeDs.  Then, of course, there were three level 30 SeeDs, and himself and Seifer, both level A SeeDs, even if Seifer wasn't technically a SeeD.

Squall was barely aware of the calculations and thoughts running through his head as he approached the three visitors.  They were clearly from a military element, although his practised eye noted that the younger man with glasses was clearly not a regular soldier.  For a start he had no weapon, and secondly, he just didn't have the vibe that the other two did.  It was something all SeeDs noticed and acquired after a while, the ability to look at someone and say, instantly and accurately, whether they were a soldier, spy, threat or no threat.  If you lived long enough, so Squall had heard it said, that sense became so refined that you could tell even without looking at the person.

"Come with me."  He cursed mentally, sounding curt to his own ears.  It wasn't his damn fault that he was used to being in command.  No, they could blame that on Cid and everyone else who'd pushed him into this position and then refused to let him leave it.  But even as he turned away, signalling the reserve SeeDs to fall in behind him, he saw the group relax and walk after him.

***

Laguna tried, unobtrusively, to squash himself further into the shadowed corner of the room.  He had the uncomfortable feeling that it was a pointless gesture.  He had slipped out when Squall and Seifer had made their appearance, managing not to be seen.  Or so he hoped.  He'd snuck into this room to wait the duration of Squall's stay, after all, there was no point in bringing up the old arguments that would inevitably come up.  He sighed, then flinched further into the corner when he realised what he'd done.  But it didn't seem that the sorceress had noticed. 

That was the current problem.  It looked very much like Squall and Seifer had *both* gone over to the sorceress this time... and who did they have who could take on either of them, much less both?  No one.  That was who.  Laguna had hoped, ever mindful of his promise to the people of Esthar, to slip away and send a message to Ward telling him to seal off the country for the duration.  In his experiences a sorceress meant conflict, sooner or later, and Esthar was a prize too great to be ignored.

But the problem immediately at hand, was the fact that he was now trapped in the room, with the sorceress.  She had an expectant look on her face, as though she were waiting for something.  Or someone.  Sure enough, the steady echo of marching feet grew louder, nearer.  Squall sauntered into the room ahead of some 19 SeeDs and the three soldiers from through the gate.  Instantly Laguna knew he'd been spotted, not by the SeeDs or the alien soldiers, but by Squall.  There was almost no change in his stance, which, almost coincidentally, was facing away from Laguna's dark corner, just a slight increase in tension.

"What the fuck are you doing here Laguna?"  The Estharian president sighed and pushed out of his corner, into the light of the room.  The sorceress didn't look surprised either.  Hmm...  He wondered if it had been she who saw him and told Squall, or vice versa.  Or perhaps they had both noticed him independently...

"I was curious.  Besides, this *is* Esthar's project.  Odine is in my employ."  Squall slowly turned around, one hand on his hip, the other caressing the handle of Lionheart thoughtfully.  Finally he folded his arms and appeared to reach a decision.  Just as he opened his mouth to speak though, his head suddenly snapped around, a frown of confusion flickering briefly across his face before being replaced by his usual blank expression.

"Well, it seems as though you have a visitor.  Ward's here."  Laguna blinked, then frowned.  Why would Ward be here?  Unless...  A nauseous sensation began to spread through his stomach, accompanied by a deep feeling of dread.  No.  It couldn't be...  Could it?  He hoped to Hyne it couldn't.  Tears began to well, and the Estharian President knew it was illogical, Ward could be here for another reason entirely, but...  

"Where?"  He whispered, already feeling the numbing sensation of loss taking over his mind.

"Back where the gate is."  There was zero sympathy in Squall's voice, in anything about him.  Already certain that Ward had come with the news he feared most, and somewhat conveniently forgetting that Squall wouldn't know that, Laguna snapped.

"Can't you even *try* and show a little humanity Squall?!"  He hissed, stalking towards the impassive gunblader.  A couple of SeeDs backed out of his way, uncertain if they were allowed to hinder the Estharian President, but quite confident that Squall was able to take care of himself.  "I guess that's why even Rinoa finally left you..."  He knew instantly that he'd said the wrong thing, gone too far.  The gunblade at his throat was a big hint.  The fury within Squall's eyes was another.

"You dare accuse me of having no humanity?"  Squall's voice was perfectly level, deceptively quiet, and colder than ice.  Laguna thought he might shiver, then considered the wicked edge on the gunblade, and decided against it.  "You who call yourself my father, and yet dumped me in an orphanage and spent the next seventeen years denying I ever existed?"  Squall leaned closer, and Laguna cursed himself for leaning back, but he didn't straighten.  "Rinoa is dead.  I swore I'd take care of her, and I failed.  Now she's dead.  So I suggest you run on back to Esthar, *Mister* President, and leave things to me."  Slowly, almost as though fighting the urge to just take Laguna's head off, Squall withdrew the gunblade and sheathed it.

Pissed beyond belief, too angry to actually take any notice of what had been said – apart from the insult at the end – Laguna walked towards the door, turning in the opening to face Squall once more.

"Don't forget, you're not the only one to have saved the world from a sorceress."  Yarege turned her head to look at him.  Just look, nothing more, and her expression was neutral, but Laguna found himself licking his lips nervously, anger washed away by fear.  Squall sneered at him, the expression so foreign that it was enough to make him take a step backwards.

"And where did you grow up thanks to your father?"  He appeared to consider for a moment before the sneer reappeared.  "Well, I guess that runs in the family too."  Laguna fled.

AN: Hehehe... *dances and chants* go Squall, go Squall ;)  Apologies for the long absence of updates ;_;  everything just managed to happen at once to conspire against me :(  illness, coursework and impending exams are really not a good combination when it comes to finding time to write *sighs*  oh well...  whilst I can't promise regular updates, I doubt anything more than a month will pass between them *glares at muses*  unless this lot goes on strike *frowns* ;)


	29. Preparing For War

AN: Hmm, well, looks like maybe my muses are goin to co-operate with me :o...  wonder what they're gonna demand in return? *sweatdrops*  Just in case of confusion (I actually managed to catch me out here *rolls eyes at self*), the first section/scene/thingy overlaps time wise with the last section of the last chpt (where Laguna runs away from Squall), and the last section also overlaps with the last chpt – gomen for the confusion _

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...), weird time-jumps/overlapping with previous chpt (gomen again ^^;;), Nasty Irvine (I'll make it up l8r, promise)

**~Chapter Twenty-Nine: Preparing For War~**

They were gone.  Vanished.  Stolen from right under their noses, well, behind their backs.  And, Irvine decided, looking back at Seifer, the smug bastard in front of him had something to do with it.  Quistis had realised the same, but was torn between admiration and amusement at the slick manoeuvring of Squall and Seifer, and fear of the unknown.  They still had no idea what was going on.

"Alright Almasy.  What the fuck's going on?!"  Irvine demanded, only the last shreds of self preservation holding him back from grabbing the sorceress's knight by the neck.  Seifer smirked, a superior cat-got-the-cream, I know and you don't expression.  It was the last straw for Zell.  Anger overrode self preservation, and he took a wild swing at the other blond.  Quistis winced, waiting for Seifer to retaliate and the brawl to begin, but the blond simply dodged the fist and took a step back.  It was Zell's turn to smirk.

"Hah!  Scared to bring it Almasy?"  He crowed.  Quistis held her breath in anticipation.  Surely Seifer couldn't fail to react to *that* insult.  But he did.  He simply looked at Zell, nothing more, and his expression changed.  Quistis sucked in a quick breath, scared by the expression that was pure Squall.  Pure Squall at his most dangerous.  Zell's face was a picture of shock and fear.  Eyes wide, he took a step back, then another, and then a third, ducking behind Quistis.  Seifer turned to face Irvine, but although the Trabian Headmaster swallowed and licked his lips, he managed to hold his ground.

"Hyne is returning."  The voice came from behind Seifer, but, although he straightened, he didn't turn.

Show a little respect!  Seifer snapped mentally at Edea.  The three SeeDs in front of him saw when she winced slightly, then made a ninety degree bow, hands pressed to knees.

"I humbly apologise.  I forget myself.  My Queen is returning."  Quistis, Zell and Irvine exchanged confused glances.  Something had happened, something they had missed.  Seifer finally turned, acknowledging Edea's apology with a dip of his head.  Irvine frowned.  That hadn't been the acknowledgement of an equal, but someone far above in the scale.  Who the fuck was the sorceress Seifer and Squall had arrived with, that even her knights stood far above another sorceress?

Quistis was also frowning.

"Where's Selphie?"  The energetic brunette was nowhere in sight, and neither could she hear the chirpy voice that seemed never to stop.  Edea smiled rather grimly, but there was also a hint of satisfaction in it.  Pressing a single finger to her lips, she winked.  Then they heard it, heavy boots being thumped down onto the floor far harder than necessary.  The absence of voice, Selphie's clear temper, and Edea's gesture suddenly made sense.  The sorceress had silenced the brunette.  Or, more accurately, had taken her voice.  Selphie had potions on her to cure silence, but the sorceress ability the silence spell was based on, voice stealing, could only be removed by the sorceress who inflicted it.

The petite brunette was scowling fiercely as she halted by Edea, arms folded, the fingers of the visible hand drumming against her arm.  With a slightly pained expression, Edea gestured, drawing one hand across her throat whilst the other writhed in some complex gesture.  Selphie blinked once, as though something had just slapped her across the face, then she opened her mouth...

And shut it again with one look at Edea's expression.  Still glowering, she managed to slink over to Irvine and the others whilst still slamming her boots into the floor at each step.

A second figure then appeared in the doorway, filling it with his mute presence.  Ward.  Seifer wondered what the hell he was doing in Centra, unless...  He frowned.  That meant Laguna was in Centra also.  But still, why come in person?  It wasn't as though messages couldn't be transmitted anymore, not since Adel's death had the 'interference' been a problem.  Not many had put those facts together...  But then, not everyone had been the knight to the sorceress who had 'removed' said interference.  He knew Squall had managed to puzzle it out from the outdoor TV in Timber, where the interference had been allowed to play unchecked, spotting the pleas for release within the fuzz and incoherent rambling.  

Wondering what new complications the mute man might have news of, Seifer let Squall know that he was there.

***

Laguna let his whirling emotions guide his feet hurriedly away from Squall.  His son.  Every word that he had spoken had been true, and it cut like a knife to the very bone.  His son.  How long had he longed to say those words, and yet, for seventeen years he had denied it.  Denied it for Squall's safety, Ellone's safety, Esthar's safety...  But at what price?  His son.  But he still couldn't say the words that he knew needed to be said.  Instead, every time their paths crossed, for they never went out of their way to meet, Squall because of his hatred and he because of his guilt, they fought.  Squall was a constant reminder of Raine, of the promise he broke so long ago.  And yet, at the time it had seemed like no choice at all...  Rule Esthar or...  And that was the source of the guilt.  The only 'or' that had ever been had been 'or go home', keep his promise and return with Ellone.  Adel had been defeated, sealed away, and yet...  He hadn't wanted to leave.  Being in a position where everyone looked up to him, respected him, was a heady feeling, and he had become drunk on it, addicted to it.  So the promise had been conveniently forgotten.  He had sent Ellone back to Winhill with Kiros and Ward, asking Raine to join him in Esthar.  But it had been too late.  Raine was dead, buried, gone forever, leaving only a tiny baby boy she had named Squall.  

As for Squall...  Laguna sighed, and stopped, leaning his forehead against the cool wall of the corridor.  Yes he was glad to have a son, but in a way, after twenty years and all the shit Squall had gone through, he wasn't really his son any more.  Yes they were flesh and blood related, but Squall looked much more like his mother than his father, and their attitudes...  No one who hadn't seen the DNA proof would've believed it, not initially.  Not until they'd seen that they both shared a sense of duty, held long grudges and could be more stubborn than a broody chocobo when it suited them.  He gave a short, rueful laugh.  It was the latter two that were the problem here.  Squall, and understandably so, had one hell of a grudge against him for abandoning him to an orphanage.  And they were both too stubborn to let the matter drop and start again.

Sighing again, Laguna pushed away from the wall and resumed his journey to where Ward awaited.

***

Seifer, get your lazy ass in here now!  The mental summons from Squall hit Seifer just as Laguna walked into the room.  He looked tense, strained...  Of course, if he'd run into Squall the two had likely argued...  Scratch that.  Seifer thought, correcting his thoughts.  The two had definitely met each other, because Squall had passed on the message that Ward was here.  So, there had definitely been an argument...  One hell of an argument.  He squinted at the faint line of red on Laguna's neck.  One day the Estharian President was going to push Squall too far and lose his head.  But the arguments were mercifully few and far between.  The last, not counting the one that had obviously just taken place, had been right before Squall and Rinoa both vanished.  Three years.  That was one hell of a long time to hold a grudge, and yet Seifer got the impression that Squall would hold said grudge to the grave.  His own, not Laguna's.

SEIFER!  He winced at the roar in his head.  Squall had surely caught on to the whole telepathy thing fast.  Much faster than...  He suddenly realised that getting lost in yet another internal monologue would only lead to more painful bellows from his lover.  Without a glance at the four SeeDs behind him, Seifer began to hurry in the direction Squall had gone.

Bring Edea.  Now that he was moving in the right direction, Squall had softened his mental tone considerably.  Seifer paused, turning to jerk his head at Edea.  The sorceress obediently glided over to him, waiting for him to lead her or command her as he would.  It was a strange feeling, knowing that he could order her to kill herself, and she would.  Well, maybe not that extreme, but still...  And the others.  Squall added quietly.  Seifer rolled his eyes, and began to turn, but was cut off by Irvine's shout.

"Now where the hell are you going?!"  Edea's eyes narrowed, but Seifer shook his head faintly and she subsided.  Of course, if she was going to be all protective around him then his position might have a few drawbacks after all.  He doubted she would stop just because he ordered her to.  Become less obvious, yes, but stop?  No, he didn't think that would happen.

"Come with me if you want to know what's going on."  He tossed back offhandedly.  He knew Irvine better than the sniper thought, Quistis mused.  The whole take-it-or-leave-it-I-don't-care attitude was guaranteed to hook the Trabian Headmaster.  It was also, she thought, noticing Zell and Selphie already inching closer to Seifer and Edea, guaranteed to hook the two most curious SeeDs in existence.

Muttering under his breath, Irvine barely noticed Quistis following him as he stalked after Seifer and Edea.

***

Squall was waiting outside the room Seifer led them to.  Along with a group of 19 SeeDs.  Edea bowed to Squall in the same way she had to Seifer, ninety degrees, balanced by her hands on her knees.  He, like Seifer, acknowledged the gesture with a shallow nod.  As the sorceress straightened, Seifer and Squall looked at each other, holding a discussion without words.  A brief frown of irritation crossed Squall's face, mirrored seconds later by a look of resignation on Seifer's face.  Satisfied, Squall nodded, and Seifer walked into the room.

"Edea, Kinneas, Quistis, Selphie, Zell.  With me."  Squall was as curt as ever in his commands.  Irvine folded his arms, clearly pissed off at everything that had happened.

"What. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On."  He spoke each word slowly and clearly, as though Squall was an idiot, and pointedly omitted any sort of title.  For a moment it looked as though Squall might kill Irvine on the spot, then his expression became its normal blank self.

"Selphie."  The brunette perked up somewhat at the summons, bouncing over to Squall's side.  He put a hand on her shoulder, leaning down to whisper instructions in her ear.  Then he stood straight again, back to glaring daggers at Irvine.  "Go with Selphie.  We'll join you in a minute."  He told the rest of them.  They went, Selphie eagerly leading the way.

"Well?  Leonhart?  I'm waiting."  Irvine sneered.

It almost seemed that Squall didn't cover the ground between the two, he moved that fast, but one minute Irvine was sneering at him, and the next Squall was behind him, holding his arm in such a way that an incautious move on Irvine's part would dislocate his shoulder.

Squall started walking, forcing Irvine to also walk, or have his shoulder dislocated.  As he followed slowly in the direction Selphie had led the others, Squall talked.

"You know why you hate me Kinneas?  When you started to hate me?"  He did, but he wasn't going to dignify the questions with an answer.  Fortunately Squall didn't wait for an answer.  "It was when we tried to assassinate Edea in Deling.  Because I saw your weakness then, and I know it now."  Irvine started to try and shake himself free of Squall's grip, felt his shoulder protest – painfully so – and reluctantly gave in.  Squall continued as if nothing had happened.  "You can't cope under the pressure Kinneas.  As soon as you realise just how much is at stake, how your actions will decide the fate of millions, you'll freeze again."  Squall sounded exasperated, which, Irvine guessed, was not a good sign.  "But I won't undermine the chain of command for everyone to see, not unless I have to."  Irvine blinked in shock at the threat.  "You will 'work with' Seifer.  And you will follow every 'suggestion' he makes.  That or I'll strip you back down to a grade 10 SeeD."  Irvine stiffened in rebellion, then sagged as he realised there *was* no get-out clause.  "Clear?"  Squall asked, voice harder than adamantine.  Irvine nodded in resignation.

Squall released Irvine's arm in enough time for its circulation to have returned, and the pins and needles worn off, by the time they rejoined the others in the communications room.  The room, which had been buzzing with speculation and soft murmurs of hushed conversations, fell silent as the SeeDs realised Squall and Irvine were present.  As one unit, they came to attention, the unified 'thump' of boots coming together muffled somewhat by the carpet.  Squall returned the salute, and the SeeDs relaxed without waiting for Irvine's acknowledgement.  They knew where the power in the room lay.  But Squall had been absent for three years, and they had forgotten how strict he was on protocol.  Which meant following the hierarchy of SeeD no matter what.

"Attention!"  He snapped.  The SeeDs jumped to attention again.  If they had forgotten the smaller things like his insistence on protocol, they hadn't forgotten the few disciplinary actions that had made it as far as the commander's office.  A unified mental shudder went through them.  Irvine had also been surprised by Squall's outburst.  He had assumed that the commander meant everyone to know that Irvine Kinneas was to be a puppet, dancing on his and Seifer's strings, but apparently he had been serious when he had commented on wanting to keep the command structure intact.  Slowly he acknowledged the saluting SeeDs with his own salute.

The room settled into an uneasy silence once more.  Squall let it hang for a few moments, ensuring that everyone was paying close attention.  Then he began to give his orders.

***

Even though they could now understand what was being said, SG1 was still hopelessly lost.  Not only, or so it appeared, had they managed to arrive on a world with a massively different culture to their own, but they also appeared to have gotten themselves unwittingly caught up in a 'situation'.  It was not unlike, Jack mused absently, the last time they'd walked through a stargate in the process of being excavated.

They listened with interest as the blond man who had appeared in the silence began to harangue the one in charge.  Well, the one who *had* been in charge.  The fact that the mercenaries around them had stood down for the brunette seemed to indicate that he held a greater rank.  Jack shook his head slightly, there were too many undercurrents and subtle allusions to past events, that they didn't know about, for him to start jumping to conclusions.

"Come with me."  Jack blinked, and found the speaker, the brunette, already turning away.  It was a command, not a request, that much was clear in the tone, and yet the mercenaries surrounding them had already formed up.  There was no physical threat behind the command, just an expectation that it would be carried out.

"Sir?"  Sam's query was pitched low enough for only Jack and Daniel to hear it.  Jack nodded, bringing his machine gun back to his chest, cradling it in a defensive position, but ready to move to the offensive if necessary.  Sam copied his movement, and Daniel stopped trying to look dangerous with a relieved sigh.

They followed the brunette out of the large cavern and into a series of corridors, hearing the mercenaries fall into place behind them.  Quite chatter could be heard, speculation mostly, but also mutters of relief that the 'commander' had returned to take over from someone called Irvine.  Jack was willing to bet that the commander was the brunette, and that 'Irvine' was the mercenary dressed like a cowboy who had argued when the brunette had taken charge.

At long last the journey came to an end, the brunette leading them into a spacious room.  It was unevenly lit, casting deep shadows into some corners, whilst banishing all shadows from the others.  The woman who had arrived with the two men was already in the room, staring off into the distance, seemingly deep in thought.  She was the one who had cast the spell, or done whatever the hell she'd done, so that they could understand and be understood.

"G'ould?"  Jack muttered to Sam.  There was no reply for a moment, then, in the periphery of his vision, he saw her give a slight shake of her head.

"I don't think so Sir."  She whispered back.  He grunted slightly in acknowledgement of her reply.  Even though she said it as though she wasn't certain, Jack knew Sam was more often right than not when it came to sensing G'ould.  Being host, however temporarily, to Jolinar, had left her with the ability to sense them.  The closer she was to a host, the more accurately she could tell.  They were close enough, he decided, for him to trust her senses.

"What the fuck are you doing here Laguna?"  The brunette snapped the words without turning, but the way his head had lifted warned SG1 that whomever Laguna was, he was somewhere behind the brunette... and them.  Daniel turned in time to see an older man emerge from one of the deeply shadowed corners of the room.

"I was curious."  Daniel blinked.  The voice and the looks were somewhat at odds with each other.  The man's, Laguna's, hair was dark, and roughly pulled back into a scruffy pony-tail.  His clothes were similarly rough, some sort of short jacket and baggy pants, along with a tee-shirt that looked creased enough to have been slept in.  But the voice was as commanding as the Brunette's, if in a different way.  The commander spoke with the expectation that what he said would be done because he was in charge, Laguna spoke with the hope that what he said would be done because he believed whomever he was speaking to was a good person.  There was a steel undertone to Laguna's words though...  Daniel wondered what his title was to be challenging a commander...

"Besides, this *is* Esthar's project.  Odine is in my employ."  Daniel blinked...  He had no idea what 'Esthar' was, but Laguna spoke as though he somehow was Esthar, or represented it in some way.  Something in the way the level of tension behind him spiked made Daniel look around.  The commander had turned, and was regarding Laguna thoughtfully, one hand on his hip, the other absently toying with the hilt of his weapon.  Daniel swallowed, wondering if between the two was a sensible place to be.  Jack had apparently decided not, because Daniel saw him trying to unobtrusively motion him backwards.  Deciding discretion was by far the better part of valour, Daniel shuffled quietly backwards and out of the way.

But the backwards shuffle meant he saw what Jack and Sam didn't.  He saw the commander open his mouth to speak, saw the sudden flicker of confusion followed by the sharp turn of the head in his direction.  But the brunette wasn't staring at anything in the room.  His eyes were distant, as though he saw, or heard, something no one else could.  Daniel frowned.  Was it possible that they had telepathy of some sort?

"Well, it seems as though you have a visitor.  Ward's here."  Daniel's suspicions were confirmed as the commander turned back to Laguna.  The older man took the words like a fist to the stomach.  He gaped, blinking in shock, then frowning.  He seemed to hunch over, ever so slightly, and his eyes began to water.  For some reason the arrival of this new person, Ward, was not a good thing.

"Where?"  Laguna whispered.  Daniel wondered if the arrival in itself was a bad thing, or if it was the news that they brought that boded ill.  The older man looked numb, as though shock was setting in.

"Back where the gate is."  Something suddenly seemed to snap in the older man at the brunette's words.

"Can't you even *try* and show a little humanity Squall?!"  Laguna hissed, stalking closer to the commander.  Squall...  Daniel belatedly connected the hissed name with its target.  So the commander's name was Squall.  A couple of the mercenaries moved hastily from the advancing man's path.  Laguna however, seemed to have the sense not to try and eyeball the brunette, and stopped a little over two feet away.

"I guess that's why even Rinoa finally left you..."  Daniel didn't even see Squall move, and doubted that anyone else had either, but the strange blade weapon previously hanging at the brunette's side was now bared and pressed against Laguna's throat.  Obviously the older man had touched upon a raw nerve.

"You dare accuse me of having no humanity?"  It almost sounded a normal conversation, except Daniel was almost certain he could feel waves of coldness radiating from the words.  The other mercenaries in the room seemed to feel it as well, and had frozen in position, watching the confrontation.  "You who call yourself my father, and yet dumped me in an orphanage and spent the next seventeen years denying I ever existed?"  Daniel blinked.  The two were related?!  He frowned, realising from the unsurprised expressions on the faces of the mercenaries, that this was already common knowledge.  As was the enmity, and its cause, between the two.  The brunette leaned towards the older man, who leaned away.  Daniel wondered if he even realised the movement had caused the blade to break the skin.  He decided not... damn that blade had to be sharp.

"Rinoa is dead.  I swore I'd take care of her, and I failed.  Now she's dead.  So I suggest you run on back to Esthar, *Mister* President, and leave things to me."  Had he not already been in such a state of shock that he was numb, Daniel thought he might have fainted.  Esthar had to be a country, a powerful one if it was operating in another country, and this Laguna was its president.  Not only that, but his son, albeit apparently estranged, was the commander of the mercenary forces.  Daniel glanced over at Jack and Sam.  They appeared to be taking it all in their stride, but Sam's eyes were slightly wider than usual.  He suspected Jack had stopped listening a while ago.

The weapon was taken away, a strange reluctance seeming to slow the brunette's movements.  Laguna didn't seem to have calmed though.  His movements were stiff with anger as he walked to the door, and turned back to face his son, eyes narrowing in ire.

"Don't forget, you're not the only one to have saved the world from a sorceress."  Daniel's eyebrows threatened to climb into his hair.  A sorceress?  But that would make the woman who had arrived with the two men...  He turned in time to see the neutral expression on the sorceress's face.  Laguna, however, seemed to see something else, for his face drained of the redness anger had lent it and he licked his lips in a sudden gesture of nerves.  It was the sneer on Squall's face that prompted the step back though.

"And where did you grow up thanks to your father?"  Squall appeared to consider for a moment before the sneer reappeared.  "Well, I guess that runs in the family too."  Laguna fled.

Silence reigned along with tension for a few moments after the President had left.  Then, with a single gesture, Squall led the mercenaries out of the room.  Automatically SG1 moved to follow.

"Please, stay."  The sorceress's voice was cool and soothing.  Then she smiled, and it was dazzling in its purity.  This was the good of humanity made flesh, Daniel thought, then immediately wondered when the hell he'd gotten so poetic.  Jack, however, was his usual suspicious self.

"What do you want?"  Daniel raised an eyebrow, wincing in anticipation of a negative reaction to the colonel's typically blunt approach.  But the woman merely laughed, a light chuckle that dispersed the remaining tension in the room.

"Come, sit.  Then we shall talk, of what I want and what you want."  She gestured for them to take three of the seats around a small table.  It was Sam's turn to raise an eyebrow in surprise.  The woman was deliberately allowing them to sit in a such a way that she could only face one or two of them at a time.

SG1 sat.  Yarege took the remaining chair, absently locating everyone on the site in her mind.  Feeling the need both for something to occupy her hands, and to soothe her nerves, she conjured mugs of coffee for them all, easily reading each person's preferences for the beverage.  Daniel, the scholar and linguist, liked his strong and sweet, with a little milk, perfect for sharpening nerves dulled by long hours of studying ancient texts.  The two soldiers, Samantha and Jack, both liked theirs black, although Samantha took a little sugar, whilst Jack took none.  Herself she liked it milky, but unsweetened.  Cradling the mug in both hands, Yarege took a sip to hide her smile at the expressions of surprise and suspicion on their faces.

"It's coffee."  She gestured gracefully with a couple of fingers.  "It's safe.  I'm not about to poison someone I'm asking help from."  With a slightly surprised expression, clearly he hadn't thought of poison, the linguist took a cautious sip of his drink.  He blinked, finding the drink exactly as he liked it.

"Um...  So what, help, do you want from us?"  He asked, replacing the mug on the table.  Yarege sighed, and set down her own mug, folding her hands in front of her.

"This world was freed from G'ould occupation by Hyne a long time ago.  Long enough for the truth to have distorted.  Hyne is seen as the creator of the world, the mother of everything on it.  When she died she left behind the first sorceresses, her 'daughters'.  Those same sorceress powers have been passed down through the generations, from one woman to another.  Not all of these sorceresses have been good, not all of them evil, most of them have simply been human, with the same hopes and dreams, the same thoughts and feelings as any other human.  But Hyne herself was not entirely human.  She was balance, and for every good thing people praised her name for, there was something they cursed her for.  So the good and evil balances, and humanity is not smothered from existence, nor coddled into a race unable to withstand adversity."

She paused for another sip of coffee, and then continued.

"Such balance as Hyne embodies cannot be contained in a single mortal body, a single sorceress's mind.  That is the first battle that we face.  I would not ask you to fight against enemies you have no experience of, and there is no time to give you that experience.  When the other sorceress attacks she will be seeking me, just as I will be seeking her, but that will leave the gate unguarded."

Another pause, another sip of coffee.

"The G'ould are returning.  And so is Hyne."  She remained silent for a moment, looking vaguely sad.  "Time has run too short for Squall to be able to do more than send SeeD reinforcements to the most vulnerable key cities, and even then, depending when and where she makes her move, I do not know if they will arrive in time to bolster the existing defences, or to form burial squads.  But that does not matter.  There are enough SeeDs here to fight through her army so that I can do what I must.  The G'ould will find the gate undefended though, and they will be able to send through too many for an already weary force to hold.  I would ask your help, that you bring whatever forces you can to defend the gate.  You can say no, and I will send you back to your world, but I would ask you to consider it.  The return will not be small."

Jack frowned.

"Two questions."  Yarege nodded for him to continue.  "What do we get in return for risking our necks, and what's the catch?"  She smiled, as though she had expected the questions.

"The catch is that you, and any forces you bring back, will be stranded if I die."  She shrugged.  "The return is the price for you to set."

"You can operate the Stargate without a DHD?"  Sam queried, looking curious.  Yarege nodded.

"Any sorceress could, if she knew how."  Jack cleared his throat.

"What sort of technologies do you use, medicines, weapons?"  Yarege frowned for a moment, and then sighed.

"I cannot give you all that you would want.  Much would not function in the same way on your world, and much is too advanced to be of use.  Suffice to say that I will give you..."  she grinned in the pause.  "Something your world last saw long ago, something your world has not seen before, and something that will remind you of this world.  I will also give each of you something for you personally, something of great value, to keep or sell as you wish."

"Can you be any more specific?"  Jack asked.  He wasn't convinced by the grandiose sounding words.  Something the world last saw long ago could be nothing more than a useless artefact buried in a cave somewhere for god knew how long.  Something the world hadn't seen before...  Surely everyone knew that trick of breaking out a peanut and eating it?  And they had their own memories to remind them of this world already.  As for the 'great value', hmm, sounded too much like a death threat to him.

"No, I cannot."  Her tone of voice made it clear that the subject was closed.  "Daniel may return to your 'SGC' to consult with your superiors.  Shock that she knew their names, and more importantly *how* she must know their names, held them silent.  "If they decide the risk is too great for the return, which I have already said will *not* be small O'Neill, then he may return and I will send you all back to your world."  She stood, setting the mug gently onto the table, its contents gone.

One by one, SG1 also stood.

"Got them eating out of your hand yet?"  It was the blond man who had arrived with the sorceress.  At some point during the conversation he had slipped, unnoticed, into the room.

"Ignore Seifer.  He tends to be sarcastic most of the time, but more so when he's got to be polite to someone."  She glared at him, but there was no heat in it, only a faint amusement at the blond's foibles.  Jack noticed that he too, like the brunette, had a scar across his forehead and nose.

I just what to know why I *have* to be civil to someone everyone knows is useless.  What's the point?  Yarege refused to let her sigh become anything more than mental, despite Seifer's mental irritation.

Because SeeD fought *with* Squall *against* you in the last war.  You need the authority that Squall has made clear is Irvine's, as much as he needs your experience and ability.  With that Yarege swept out of the room, the three 'visitors' in tow, leaving Seifer to follow or not.

He followed, after a few minutes quietly seething to himself.  The gate was just triangulating from the last space-time reference as he arrived, and he stared in awe as the 'bubbles' rushed outwards briefly, allowing the matrices of the two worlds to align.  A shimmering pool of what looked like water filled the circle, rippling gently as the gate compensated for each shift of the two worlds, relative now to each other, in space-time.

SG1 stared from the gate to Yarege and back.  The dialling process had been much faster than normal.  Whatever the gate drew on as a power source on this world had to be far superior to either electric or even naquada generators.  Finally Daniel stepped onto the ramp and walked up to the gate.  There he turned back to face them.

"I'll, uh, try and be a quick as I can."  He called, then turned and stepped from one world to another...

AN: like I said...  a glut of updates...  *looks gloomy* if I fail my exams I shall have but one thing to say – muses!  Anyhow, someone please tell me if I spelt 'Jolinar' and 'naquada' correctly, I just guessed from how I remember them being said ^^;;  uh, what else? *thinks* über long chpt, sorry bout that, now I've got a plot I'm determined to stick with it... especially as I pretty much know what's going in each chapter PLUS how it ends ;) go me! Hehehe...


	30. Anger

AN: K, we've covered a lot of ground (and time) with Yarege's side...  Time to see what Harena's been up to ;p

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Thirty: Anger~**

Harena emerged from the shack feeling frustrated and with her hunger only slightly diminished.  Kiros had been most unsatisfying as a victim, refusing to cry out until the very end, and then, somehow, managing to gain enough slack in his bindings to lunge forwards as she reached into his open chest to tickle his heart once more.  Most frustrating.  She had wasted a lot of time, nearly nine hours, for almost nothing.

Now she was hunting in earnest.  But not for prey.  She was following the faded trail of Squall and, she realised with a sour grimace, Seifer.  But Seifer was near death, had to have been anyway for her not to sense his presence near the shack.  He hadn't been near enough to stop him from stealing her knight though.  She cursed softly as she pushed through the undergrowth that hung over the faint path.  The only benefit from this would be if she found them both in time and turned them both to her side.  Already she was weak from the early birth, had denied herself the birth screams of her 'mother' in favour of feasting on Kiros, and that had been a mistake.  Much as she hated to admit it, the arrogance that had made her believe Kiros would be almost as good as Rinoa did not stretch to blinding herself to the fact that she could make mistakes.

The other was alive too.  Which was irritating.  Why couldn't that bitch Ultemecia have truly died, and taken the other with her?!  But Harena knew why.  This matter would only be solved by direct combat between herself and the other.  Combat that, at this point in time, she knew she couldn't win.  Not without help.  But that help came with a high price, one she was not willing to pay unless she had no other choice.  And, as yet, her options remained open.

Harena pushed aside another set of branches, emerging into a small clearing with another broken-down cabin.  She sniffed, scenting the history of the place.  Kiros had come past here, but he had not been aware of Squall and Seifer.  If they had been here then, they had not announced their presence.  She sniffed again.  Some powerful magic had been wrought here, but it was neither sorcery nor mortal magic.  Guardian Forces.  She snarled.  Meddlesome elementals most of them, who were barely powerful enough to be incarnate.  But there were a few, a very few, who, either through having no elemental allegiance to limit them, or having multiple allegiances, posed a threat.  It was the magic of one – or more – such GF she could smell on the air, like an acid fog surrounding the cabin.

Closing her eyes, she reached out with her mind, searching for creatures in the nearby area.  There was nothing, and she cursed.  Had there been a cockatrice around – usually the damn things were everywhere – she would have been able to use its sight to examine the magic more closely, perhaps enabling her to see what its effect was.  Still, if she had to guess, Harena thought it was a fairly safe bet that it had been a teleportation-type spell.

Abandoning the vague hope that she would catch up with her errant knight before Seifer delivered him to the Other, Harena walked into the cabin.  Her nostrils flared at the thick stench of the GF's magic, and, grimacing, she almost backed straight out again.  But a scrap of paper on the floor caught her attention.  Intrigued, she scurried forwards and snagged it in one hand, using the other to hold her nose.  Not that the purely metaphysical 'smell' of the magic could be blocked by such physical means.  Harena was faster leaving the cabin than entering, stopping on the other side of the clearing, where the magic was less offensive.  She was suddenly grateful that the stuff could not cling to her as it would mortals.

Huffing disdainfully, she studied the letter with those senses that only a sorceress possessed.  Seifer had written it, a little over a week ago, and Squall had handled it within the last twelve hours.  That meant that Seifer had seduced him away from her some time in the midnight hour, and that they had left the cabin in front of her some time before midday.  She ground her teeth, wishing that Seifer had managed to get himself killed during the Ultemecia incident.  It was surely too much to hope that he'd died having stolen Squall and making it this far.  The teleportation had likely been directly to wherever the Other was, and she wouldn't have let her knight die.

There was a faint ripping noise, and Harena suddenly realised she had crumpled the letter, tearing a hole in it with her sharp nails.  With a grimace she laid the ball of paper on her open palm, and waved her other hand over it, speaking a single word of command.  The letter sprang back to flatness, the tear sealing itself closed as though it had never been.  Smiling faintly, she began to read...

The smile quickly faded.

There was little new in the letter.  She had suspected something was amiss with Ultemecia dying as easily as she had.  That the SeeDs had been tricked into fighting an illusion only confirmed her low opinion of them.  She was also quite aware that Seifer would not have been the Other's father.  Nor was the fact that Laguna had located her and Squall news.  Although she still fully intended to use the information to bait her knight.  It was unlikely that she could bait him back to her side, but he would not be able to fight if his mind was clouded by doubt.  She of all people knew how insecure he was, however well he hid it from the outside world.

No.  What angered her was how thorough Seifer had been when writing to avoid giving her any clues as to their whereabouts.  They could be on any continent, in any city or village.  Except she *knew* the Gate had been used, that something – someone – had come through into this world, and she knew the Other would know the same.  The question was, where was the Gate – other than the somewhat vague south-west pull she had felt as it activated – and would the Other be looking for it, or for her?

Harena looked around, the falling night as bright as day to her glowing golden eyes.  Kiros would be missed, and, whilst whoever came to look for him might well provide her with more sustenance, it would also indicate to the Other where she was.  Snarling again, she reached out with her mind, searching.  It was the right time of day, or night, and she quickly found the mind of the creature she was searching for.  Moments later the sound of a large creature pushing its way through dense forest drifted to her ears.

The Ruby Dragon emerged into the clearing with a roar of anger.  It had just enough intelligence to know that the compulsion to be where it now was, had not been generated by itself but an outside force.  Understandably it wasn't happy about this, and wanted everything in the area to know it.  Harena ignored its posturing, using her mind once more to force it to obedience.  The Ruby Dragon crouched, still as a statue whilst she mounted, then it lumbered awkwardly into the air, flattening the cottage with its tail in the process.

Harena didn't care.  She closed her eyes, revelling in the feel of the night wind rushing past her face.  The cold didn't touch her, she wouldn't let it, but she knew that her hair – glowing silver in the moonlight – would be streaming out behind her, making her look truly ethereal.  No one would mistake her intentions for anything other than the evil they were. 

In a fit of irony, Harena flew to the Sorceress Memorial, butchering the Ruby Dragon after she dismounted.  Its screams were like the sweetest of wines after Kiros' pitiful offerings.  Feeling somewhat stronger, Harena curled up at the base of one of the giant statues, a lute player.  It galled that she had not managed to feed enough to go without sleep, for there was so much that she had yet to do.  But her most important tasks would need energy, and for now that meant sleep.  Besides, there was no way the Other could know where she was, or what she planned.  A cruel smirk settled on her lips as the darkness of sleep fell, and Harena drifted into dreams of power and never-ending screams.

***

It was the early pre-dawn when she awoke, the first rays of sunlight just beginning to creep over the horizon.  It was not a sense of the sun's rising that had woken Harena from her shadowed slumber, more a sense that time was growing short if she were to locate both the Gate and a new knight.

Slowly Harena stood, then sat again, cross legged, her back against the statue's leg.  This work would be metaphysical, but she would still need all the accumulated energy from her night of rest.

Gradually she allowed her breathing to slow, and her heartbeat with it.  Her mind became empty, and slowly her consciousness began to expand beyond her body.  Then there was a tearing sensation, and Harena opened her eyes to see herself, seated cross legged at the foot of the statue, eyes closed, chest barely moving.  She looked around, revelling in the way the world looked to her mental eyes.  Everywhere the landscape was stained with dark and violent hues, anger and hatred, death and poison.  This was the domain of the Malboros and the site of many a past war.  

Turning away from the delicious sight before her, Harena concentrated her will.  With a single step she moved miles, towards Centra.  The pull of the Gate was stronger now, she was getting closer.  Harena followed the pull, pausing only as she sensed a large number of people.  Then, after a moment, satisfied by the lack of reaction to her presence that the Other was not there - at least, not yet – she moved closer still.

The Gate was almost blinding to her metaphysical sight, but there was one aura that stood out from the rest nearby.  A soldier's aura – she could tell by the colour and texture.  Its owner had killed, many times, defending something else.  Not like a SeeD, who fought only for money, but like a rebel, fighting for a cause...  Or a knight...

She slipped closer, closer, finally slipping inside the aura, inside the soldier's mind.  And she was in paradise.  This mind was so strong, and yet so weak.  Like and yet totally unlike any mind she had come across before.  The thoughts were so clear, and yet so random that it was child's play to toy with them, changing their meaning, their mood.  Intrigued, she sank deeper, allowing her eyes to see through their eyes, hearing with their ears, influencing their words.

In a way, the wave of silence that preceded Yarege's arrival was all that saved Harena from discovery.  It was enough to break the trance-like state that she had fallen into, seduced by the stranger's aura and mind.  With a cold shock of fear, she realised how close the Other was, and fled back to her body, still seated where she had left it, at the Sorceress Memorial.

Oh yes, she decided.  He would be her new knight.  Not only was he already within her enemy's ranks, but with his mind at her disposal, she could sacrifice him to gain the upper hand over the Other.  Besides, she had seen Laguna through his eyes – she knew their weak point now – and how fortunate that she was in the perfect position to take full advantage of the new information.  Harena cackled and rubbed her hands together gleefully, then set her mind to the more serious matter at hand.  The destruction of Esthar.

AN: *shakes head despairingly*  I'm really starting to confuse myself now... *groans*  teach me to try and do maths exams at the same time as writing...  Anyway, I hope people aren't ~too~ confused (unlike me @~@), and I apologise for the length of time between updates *smacks hand* bad zephyr!  Ahem, anyway, gomen for that, and the confusion and I will try and be a bit more frequent, just bear with me  *grits teeth and shakes muses* it~will~be~finished!


	31. Impatience

AN: Ya know, for all Harena admits her faults... she doesn't seem to do anything about them O.o heh – evil is blind and all that ne?

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Thirty-One: Impatience~**

Her most pressing task did not take long, but required a great deal of her horded strength.  Overriding someone's will was much harder than merely influencing their words or actions.  Still, she accomplished her goals to her satisfaction, and in less time than she had expected.  Harena did not intend to waste the time she saved, and quickly bent her mind to summoning herself an army.

She killed the first monsters that answered her summons, Imps both, too petty in her opinion to be useful alive, but their screams revitalised her, giving her the greater strength she needed to summon the monsters that she really wanted – the Ruby Dragons, Malboros and Toramas.  Even a few which should not have been in Esthar - she realised they had fallen astray during the Lunar Cry – such as Iron Giants, Hexadragons and Behemoths appeared, attracted by the tantalising aroma of the Imp blood she had spilt.

They flocked to her in droves, filling the planes around the Sorceress Memorial as far as the eye could see.  A seething mass of assorted powerful monsters.  At last her control over the dangerous horde began to become tenuous, and Harena ceased her call.  Her army waited obediently for her orders.

Harena smirked.  The smirk became an open sneer, then a chilling laugh.  Her mind sought through the masses for a suitable mount.  Slowly the crowd between her and her chosen beast cleared to make way for their queen's mount.  It was, in truth, a new monster, a hybrid of several of those that had existed previously on the planet.  It was not so much to look at, although quite a daunting sight.  The dominant mix seemed to consist of Cockatrice, Mesmerise, Ruby Dragon and Torama.  In a way it was similar to the legendary Griffon – it's front legs those of the Cockatrice, hind legs and body of a Torama, and the wings of the Ruby Dragon – with only the Mesmerise's head to say it was not the beast from legend.

The beast pranced forwards, turning so that Harena could mount it's broad back.  Once she had settled herself comfortably, it rose into the air, obediently heading for what would be the front of her army.  The monsters turned to follow as she passed over, leading the way towards Esthar...

***

The SeeDs arrived in Esthar just as the monstrous army was spotted approaching the city's East side.  Immediately they deployed themselves in teams of five and six, spreading the more experienced SeeDs as evenly as they could.  The entire Esthar army had deployed already, warned beforehand by a message from Esthar, and the civilian population had already been escorted to the heavily barricaded city centre.  All that remained was for the SeeD teams to take their places, bolstering the weakest points of the Estharian line, and further securing the most strategically important areas.

They were barely ready in time.

A rippled murmur, a slight drawing back of the foremost ranks, and then the first wave of the army fell upon them.  Instantly the line was alive with the flashing lights and sounds of magic.  Fireballs hissed and cackled, booming as they impacted with hide and hair, or extinguishing with a damp fizz where they impacted against the damp and slimy skin of a Malboro.  Ice magic creaked and groaned, splintering with glassy tinkles that sounded all too cheerful for the life and death struggle occurring.  The ground trembled, shattering and roaring as the SeeDs began to use the more powerful area-affecting spells on monsters further back.

The line bulged and swayed in multiple areas as the attack continued, monsters no sooner dying than being replaced by another from behind.  And still the mass pressed forwards, those at the back eager to reach the slaughter they could smell ahead.  Further behind, attracted by the sound of combat and smell of fresh, hot blood being spilt, more monsters flocked to Harena's army.

But the blood being spilt was not only that of the monsters.  All along the line soldiers and SeeDs alike were taking hits, both from magic and physical attacks.  Yet the more experienced SeeDs, those who had fought such monsters as they were facing, knew that this was just the beginning, the warm-up.  Soon the Malboros would begin to unleash their breath attacks, along with the various dragons, and then the SeeDs would begin to use their GFs in earnest, clearing great swathes in the ranks of the monsters, but rendering their lines vulnerable for the long moments whilst the GF shielded them from its attack.

Then she came.  Harena, riding the Griffon-like steed, had dropped to the back, letting the monsters take the brunt of the resistance, but she had not anticipated SeeD support.  Esthar's first warning should have been when they saw her army appear from amongst the low rolling dunes and scrub of the great planes, but somehow they had been prepared, and now her attack was stalled.  Sensing her control of the monsters weakening, and knowing that they would drift away should she lose it completely, Harena urged her mount forwards.

It was a wounded SeeD who saw her coming.

Kerrece had been struck in the leg by a Behemoth, effectively putting him out of action as far as physical fighting was concerned.  But he had retained his GF, Gem, so that he could magically snipe, and add his defensive strength when the real fighting began.  As a level 25 SeeD he was one of those few who knew that so far they were simply being tested.  Still, until the real attack began he had little to do, except watch the skies and repel the few flying monsters who had attempted to circumvent their positions by flying over them.  Thus it was that he saw Harena's approach.

He knew instantly what she was.  Who else but a sorceress would be riding a monster after all?  He also had a fairly good idea of what she intended.  The attack was clearly, if only temporarily, stalled, and sorceresses were not famed for their patience.  

"Fall back!"  Kerrece knew they stood little to no chance against a sorceress in their current formation.  They were stretched too thin.  The sorceress could quite easily blast a hole in the line of defenders, allowing the monsters through to first surround, and then eliminate those who remained.  Obediently the line began to fold in on itself, becoming thicker, ceding ground to the monsters slowly, but surely.  It was an ordered manoeuvre though, and despite a renewed fury in their attacks, the monsters were unable to inflict any fatal wounds.

Harena screeched, a terror-inducing cry of victory and anger.  Anger because she had been denied the chance to wreak her vengeance on the SeeDs herself.  The cry ended abruptly as she realised that, far from denying her that vengeance, the formation change had, in fact, increased the number of those upon which her wrath could be delivered.  Laughing quietly to herself, Harena urged her mount closer to the ground, summoning two great burning balls of energy.

Kerrece watched as the SeeDs pulled back and the monsters advanced.  It was past time for him to be gone from his vantage point, if he wanted to make it behind their lines and to safety.  But he had fought in the war against Ultemecia.  He knew that the sorceress was unlikely to give up, and he knew he had the means, however temporarily, to protect the city's protectors from her wrath.  His gaze turned briefly to the advancing monsters, now with nothing between himself and them.  But they had not yet noticed him.  They would, he knew that, he knew he was a dead man, but then, even if he died, he could perhaps have held off the real threat long enough for others to formulate a plan against the sorceress.

His gaze turned back to Harena.  She was closing once more, and in her hands were two large glowing balls.  He doubted she was about to put on a firework display for them.  Clearing his mind of extraneous thoughts, Kerrece bent his mind towards the GF he had junctioned.  Gem responded promptly, as he expected.  They had been partners since he had become a SeeD, not like most, who tended to swap their low level GFs for more powerful ones as soon as they could.  But he had found a benefit to keeping the same GF until their compatibility was perfect.  He could talk to her, and she could deviate from her defensive ability, mutating the ability to defend several with a limited invulnerability, or to create a shield against incoming magical attacks.  It was the latter he wished to create.

Harena swept down towards the bunched defenders, never even noticing the lone SeeD on his hilltop vantage point.  She launched both energy balls with a deft flick of her wrists, sending them in a graceful arc towards the still-unaware defenders below, turning her mount away to soar back into the skies, confident her strike would land.  It was that confidence that saved her...  Or rather, saved her mount.

The energy balls smashed into a magical barrier half-way through their descent, exploding impotently against a defence that, rather than shattering under the attempt to stop the explosion dead, *flexed* and diverted the explosion's energy against the attackers.  The shockwave exploded outwards, flattening the first few ranks of monsters and buffeting Harena and her mount as they flew away.  The sorceress reeled as the forceful blow passed her, momentarily losing control of the ranks of monsters below.  The army of creatures faltered, giving the SeeDs and soldiers the few vital moments they needed to reform their defences.

It also gave the SeeDs time to see where their salvation had come from.  Time to stare in horror as the monsters advanced once more, cutting off Kerrece from any hope of safety.  

As for Kerrece, he was content.  They would be able to hold off the sorceress for a while more, perhaps those few vital minutes it took for the scientists and technicians to finish their work, repairing the sabotaged generators that would enable Esthar to vanish from outside events behind an impenetrable barrier.  It didn't matter that he wouldn't be there, on the inside, able to see the relief and weariness of his battle-worn comrades, able to see and laugh at the dirt, sweat and blood that would be covering them all, able to compare notes on magic used and the reaction of various spells on various monsters.  None of that mattered, because it was the thought that there might be some left alive to do that, because of his sacrifice, that mattered.  It didn't matter that he would die, as he surely would beneath the onslaught of the plague of Malboros now heading in his direction, because he would forever be remembered as giving his life for the greater good.  The way every SeeD wanted to die.  A blaze of glory at the forefront of a battle, not as an anonymous corpse in some shadowed alley, the victim of a mission gone wrong, but as the hero of the moment, the knight in shining armour who had given their life to save the day.

***

In the heart of Esthar the scientists feverishly worked to restore the generators that would be their salvation – if they could get them working in time.  The technician – who had apparently gone insane and wrecked them – hadn't even been missed until they received the message from Centra telling them to activate the shields.  It had only been then that anyone realised the poor girl was missing, and she had been found, hunched in the corner of the room, rocking frantically back and forth, muttering incoherently to herself.  She had been taken away, shown to Dr. Odine, and the doctor had quite accurately diagnosed her as having been possessed.  Unfortunately there was nothing they could do for her.  Harena had destroyed her mind forever.  But the scientists and technicians patching the great machines back together had no time to spare for sympathetic thoughts.  Those would come later, if they lived to be able to be sympathetic.

Each worked in pairs, a technician half-lost within the bowels of the machine, surrounded by wires and with only a flashlight and headset to keep them company.  Outside each technician had a scientist reading instructions from complex charts and diagrams, speaking through the headset in rapid technical jargon that no outsider could hope to follow.  They were well aware of the pressure that was on them, for whilst the soldiers and SeeDs above could hold the monsters temporarily, they could not hope to hold them forever.

Beneath the too-hot lights and in the oppressive silence of broken machinery, they worked on.

***

But on the outskirts of the city, Harena wasn't having it all her own way.  The mortals, who should have crumbled and been overwhelmed by her monstrous army were, barely, managing to hold their own.  So far their only casualty had been a lone SeeD, injured earlier, and cut off as they had retreated.  She had not even been able to take advantage of that retreat.  A barrier, GF magic from the stench that now pervaded the air, that should not have stood against her magic, somehow had.  What was worse, the little ground that she had gained now wavered on the verge of being taken back as the SeeDs, striving to make Kerrece's sacrifice a worthy one, fought with renewed vigour, beginning to use lethal combinations of area attacks and magic stones.

Harena herself was too weak to think of launching another attack, at least yet.  The screams she could hear were barely enough to allow her to maintain her control of the monsters beneath, and if she drifted lower, she knew any extra energy would be expended as she was forced to defend herself.  She would do well to remember, she chastised herself, that many of these SeeDs had fought against Ultemecia – a not insignificantly powerful sorceress, if not as powerful as herself.  Well, not as powerful as she *should* be.

There was really only one option left if she wished to destroy the Other and take this world for her own.  With one last, furious burst of energy, she sent the army blindly rushing forwards, no longer trying to fight the defenders, but to crush them in a stampede.  The forward surge was like a ripple running through the massed monsters below, and, like a tidal wave, it gathered momentum and force.  The front ranks of fighters never stood a chance.

***

There was no time for dignified, ordered retreat.  Those in the foremost ranks had nowhere to go, and used their last moments scattering death, meteor and ultima stones into the horde, dying as they did so, some screaming horribly, others dying in a chilling silence.  A scant few SeeDs, already on the verge of summoning their GFs, were able to do so, vanishing an instant before death took them in its icy embrace.  Great holes appeared where the GFs struck, flattening the oncoming hordes, but unable to halt the advance entirely.

It gave the few who had managed to scramble to safety, a bare handful against the oncoming tide, the time to turn once more.  The time to say brief prayers to Hyne, unaware that their goddess was the partial cause of the attack, that her return was imminent.  On the edge of the inner city, the barricades a scant hundred metres behind them, the remaining defenders prepared to make their last stand.

***

"All clear!"  The cry came from the far end of the room, the signal for levers to be pulled, buttons pressed.  The lights flickered as a new load was added to those already drawing on the main power grid.  Slowly a hum began to build in the previously silent room, a hum that quickly slid up the scale to a piercing whine.

"Activate!  For Hyne's sake do it!"  Tension burst like a pricked bubble, the words like a spark in a powder keg.  A single hand came down on an unassuming grey button.  The whine of the generators changed pitch subtly, the whine becoming a purr, a hunting cat let off its leash to do its job.

***

The barrier activated with a soft buzz, a shimmering matrix of lines briefly visible, then hidden once more.  Nothing seemed to have changed, except now only a handful of monsters advanced, the others seemingly unable to see them.  The defenders took heart, and the initiative.  Whereas before they had waited, passive, for the monsters to attack them, now they fought back, with a charge that was slowed by their injuries, but was no less powerful for its lack of speed.

The monsters crumbled before them, dying swiftly to the multiple magics and limit breaks that were unleashed.  Finally, it was over.  The defenders stood, smeared with blood and gore, sweat-dampened and exhausted, barely with the strength to hold their weapons now that the adrenaline was gone.  There were twelve, of the five hundred who had started the battle – four hundred and fifty of those Estharian soldiers, and fifty SeeDs – and only four were soldiers.  It was a terrific loss of life for a single pitched battle, which had lasted, in all, not much more than two hours.

As the survivors stared out over the carnage within the barrier, the air shimmered in several places, disgorging six small groups of SeeDs and soldiers.  They were the lucky ones, the ones who had been inside the barrier's limits when they had summoned their GFs, and they brought the survivor's total to just over thirty-five.  The soldiers who had been caught up in the summoning – all fifteen of them – were dazed, unused to the disorientating effect of being transferred between dimensions.

The others, those who had summoned their GFs outside the barrier's area of effect, were not so lucky.  They reappeared within the ranks of the fighting monsters, and were instantly set upon.  The Esthar soldiers, suffering from the same disorientation as their more fortunate companions, were little use, dying almost before they could raise their weapons.  The SeeDs were little better off, isolated from one another and hopelessly outnumbered.  There was nowhere they could run – Esthar was as surely barred to them as the monsters – and no hope of aid.

The horrified SeeDs within the barrier's confines rushed to press despairing hands against its cool blockade, unable to do anything but watch their comrades die...

***

Harena screamed with rage as the air shimmered, and Esthar vanished from sight.  The monsters below, suddenly bereft of prey in front, began to turn on one another, and she was powerless to prevent them.  That several groups of SeeDs and soldiers suddenly appeared, instantly set upon by the creatures, she cared not.  Truly she had but one option now but to seek the aid that only one other race could give.  One which was young, compared to herself, but rapidly growing in power.  Besides, if they made untrustworthy allies, she had that which would ensure their undying loyalty...

AN: ooo...  I wonder who Harena's gonna make a bargain with O.o  So sad... *sniffles*  all those deaths... *cackles*  I actually enjoyed writing the battle the best :)  Hope everyone else liked it too ;p  RxR and tell me... please?

Um... lessee...  about *thinks* yeah, bout 15ish chpts to go :)  *waves hands in air dramatically*  the end is nigh!! ^_~


	32. Dangerous Liaisons

AN: Woohoo!  Exams are over! *dances*  And of course, you know what that means ;) – more updates!! (well, in theory anyway ^_~) heh, word is Yarege's telepathy, /word/ is Harena's telepathy

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Thirty-Two: Dangerous Liaisons~**

"And what would I gain in return for aiding you in this matter?"  The G'ould – who had been introduced to her as Den'Tok – finally turned from staring out at the stars.  Harena had been vaguely amused by his cool reactions to her presence.  It was quite obvious that he felt safe on his mother-ship, and equally obvious that he doubted her power despite her manner of arrival.  She shrugged, casually, as if it didn't matter to her whether he aided her or not.  In truth, it didn't.  Unless the battle with her other half was more prolonged than she expected, things would all be over by the time Den'Tok arrived.

"I have the power to give you the tau'ri."  For a moment the G'ould watched her, face impassive, but his mind was reeling in shock, tempered by suspicion.

"If you have the power to defeat the tau'ri, blatantly defying the Asgard, how is it that you require my aid in subduing this...rebellion?"  It was clear that from his initial suspicion, Den'Tok had now moved to outright disbelief of her cover story.  After all, it was a fool who admitted a weakness, any weakness, to a G'ould.  Still, once she was whole, complete, and the other destroyed along with the meddling humans from through the stargate, Harena could easily 'take care' of Den'Tok when he finally arrived.  For that matter, it might be interesting to see how SeeD – the organisation that her other half seemed to be placing so much faith in – stood up to a concerted G'ould attack.  She smiled grimly to herself, allowing the merest hints of dark amusement to gleam in her eyes.  She could set up a contest, SeeD versus G'ould, sending them in, one after another, to die or live to fight once more.  Yes.  It would be like the ancient culture of the tau'ri, the Romans, throwing Christians to the lions...  O'Neill's mind had been full of ~such~ interesting scraps.

"I could deal with the rebellion myself.  But there is another, like me, and the rebels have enlisted the aid of the tau'ri."  She watched the thoughts play through the G'ould's mind, ignoring the impassive features.  "I can crush the rebellion to get to her, but I require you to prevent the tau'ri from flooding the stargate and interfering."  

"Hmm."  The G'ould studied her for a moment.  "What, exactly, do you wish me to do?"  Harena smiled, and began to explain her plans.

***

Of course, Harena was not so stupid as to believe that all she needed was G'ould assistance.  Oh no, especially when half of said assistance would not arrive until ~after~ the battle.  Really all Den'Tok's purpose in her plans was to provide a minor – and she had no illusions it would be anything other than minor – annoyance should the other win, and a source of food should she win.  For, whilst not stupid, Harena ~was~ beginning to doubt herself.

And that was why she had plans for Lunatic Pandora.  She already knew where it was – at the bottom of the ocean, very close to the Deep Sea Research Facility – and, with her powers, it would be a simple matter to recover the crystal tower.  Unfortunately, Harena knew she had very little time – if any – before the other also turned her attention to Lunatic Pandora.  Well, to destroying it so that she could not use it.

Well, well.  So you finally realised you're going to lose.

The voice in her head was so sudden, so unexpected, that for a moment Harena was utterly dumbfounded.  Then she realised, and her blank expression became a fierce snarl.  

/Finally you show yourself./  Harena gave a fierce mental snort, tossing her head violently.  /But I already know where you are.  I already know your numbers, your strengths and weaknesses.  It will not be I who loses./  There was a mental shrug, and a long moment of contemplation before the other finally replied.

I have already taken care of Lunatic Pandora...  But feel free to waste your time there if you wish.  Harena growled.

/I don't need Lunatic Pandora.  My allies are already.../  She quickly shut off the flow of thought, biting back a string of curses.  The last thing she needed was to give the other all her plans, just through sheer irritation.  Besides, she already knew the G'ould would fail, already knew that there were more than enough SeeDs to hold, if not completely destroy, the monsters that she would bring to bear against them.  No.  The information she ~had~ to protect, ~had~ to keep the other from discovering, was the information of what she would use to destroy her utterly.  And what was more delicious, it was the other's own plans that would bring about this victory, to make herself Hyne, and leave the other as 'eargarea'.  Nothing.

The other's sickening mental laughter flooded her mind, and Harena barely stopped herself from retching dryly.  Of course, she couldn't vomit physically, but that didn't mean that her body couldn't ascribe the action to a purely mental reaction.

Come when you will.  I care not.  You ~will~ lose.  You ~will~ be nothing.  With that the voice was gone, leaving Harena shaking, a mixture of loathing and rage.  She would come.  Oh how she would come.  Her army would fall upon them and they would bow before it like trees before a hurricane.  She would come.  And they would rue the day that they ever heard the name of Hyne.

AN: uh oh... nastiness approaching *runs for cover* pleeeeeeeeeeeese, RxR  *sniffles* please?


	33. Off World, Interlude I

AN: Um, yes, well...  After 32 ended up so short I kinda decided to add an interlude back at the SGC @_@  *grumbles*  Wish I knew the name of that blasted lieutenant...

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Thirty-Three: Off-World, Interlude I~**

"Incoming signal sir!"  The shout was as familiar to General Hammond as the klaxons and lights that signalled the activation of the stargate from an off-world source.  He waited, patiently, seeming as calm as ever, not a hint of his anxiety escaping.  There were currently four SG teams off-world, it could be any one of them.  But how he hoped that it was SG1.  The pride of SGC.  The team whose members were his friends, as well as his subordinates.  "It's SG1 sir!"  Hammond nodded stiffly.

"Open the iris."  He watched through the bullet-proof glass as the guard mechanism smoothly peeled away to reveal the stargate's shimmering portal.  As usual there were a handful of marines in the gate room itself, weapons drawn and ready to fire on any foe that might have somehow tricked its way this far.  It had not happened yet.  Hammond sincerely hoped the occasion never arose where it might.  All the stargate teams were fiercely protective of their home planet, and he suspected they would all rather die than be the ones to let down Earth's defences.

Thus it was with a measure of relief that he observed Daniel Jackson step unhurriedly from one world to his own.  What did surprise him was when the stargate closed behind the man without disgorging Sam or Jack.  Frowning, Hammond waited for Daniel to join him in the control room.

***

"Where are Sam and Jack?"  Hammond asked the question before Daniel could speak, having already firmly guided the man into his private office.  Daniel frowned, as if the question seemed strange.  Hammond wondered what planet they had found to not have realised nearly three days had passed.

"They're, uh, back on the planet."  Automatically Daniel gestured in the vague direction of the stargate.  "Why?"  Hammond blinked.  Daniel seemed genuinely unaware of how much time had passed.

"You've been gone almost three days.  Another twelve hours and your code would've been cancelled."  Daniel didn't even try to hide the shudder at that thought.  They would never have known.  They would've simply stepped into the stargate, and died as they hit an iris that had not responded to their code.  He did, however, look curiously at his watch.  Sure enough, according to the timepiece, and his own memories, he had only been gone just under a day.  He said as much, showing the General his watch, as well as demonstrating that it was still functioning.  There was a long pause.

"Maybe that's why..."  But Hammond was already gesturing to dismiss the whole phenomenon.  Daniel frowned.  Surely it was important to know if time was passing differently in both worlds?  After all, it would mean that they would need to figure out how often to check in.  Still, he already knew from Hammond's reaction that just under a day was equivalent to just under three days.  Perhaps the General thought that was sufficient information?  But somehow the explanation felt contrived...  Too easily concluded.

"You obviously came back for something.  Report."  And so he did.  Or began to.  Only a few words into describing the ring of mercenaries that had greeted them on the other side, a lieutenant dashed into the room, speaking before he could be reprimanded by the General.

"Sir!  We just received a message from the Tokra."  He glanced briefly at Daniel, then back at the General, as if uncertain whether to continue in his presence.  Hammond gestured for him to continue.  "A G'ould named Den'Tok sent a message to two mother-ships.  Their orders are to attack Earth."  Daniel frowned.  Surely the G'ould weren't foolish enough to attempt to challenge the Asgard again?  Hammond merely grunted, dismissing the lieutenant with a gesture.

"Sir, the planet we're on...  They're asking for military aid to defend the stargate against an imminent attack."  Hammond folded his hands together, leaning forwards on his desk.  Slowly he shook his head.

"I'm sorry.  But if we're about to come under attack ourselves, I'll need to recall all the SG teams.  I can't send soldiers we might need away to another planet."  

"I think we'd be well advised to gamble this time General.  They'd make powerful allies, perhaps more powerful than the Asgard."  Hammond paused at that, seeming to consider his options.  Finally, slowly, he reached a decision, and nodded.

"Alright.  I'll send SG5 and SG7 back with you...  But I can't guarantee what, if anything, you'll find when you return."  Daniel nodded.  He didn't know how long eleven of them could hold out against a concerted attack through a stargate, but he would find out soon enough.  He just hoped it was long enough for whatever the sorceress had planned...

AN: *grins* well, now you know what Den'Tok's orders were...  or at least, what they included ;p  Ah well, back to the main world ^_~


	34. The Difference Between Us

AN: Ah... finally, an end to all the confusing time-jumping @_@ I even confused the hell out of me ;), just a little flick back in time to see what happened whilst Daniel was gone... Gomen minna...  Anyhow, if people would like me to drop in a list of times and the corresponding chapters, do let me know :)  I'm not Schuldich to read minds, so even if that's all you ask for, please review and ~tell me~

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Thirty-Four: The Difference Between Us~**

Daniel returned through the stargate to a scene of organized chaos, and promptly forgot about General Hammond's strange behaviour.  He didn't, however, forget that there were two G'ould mother-ships racing to threaten the Earth.  But there was no time to give out this information.  They were already under attack...

***

True to her promise to herself, Harena's army of monsters, summoned from across the Centra continent, had fallen upon the excavation site like a tidal wave.  But the SeeDs had been prepared long in advance of her arrival, and had constructed defences with the aid of their GFs.  Wide cracks forced the forward impetus of the earthbound monsters to halt, forced their forwards charge to break whilst they manoeuvred around the obstacle.  As for the airborne monsters, such as the dragons, and the lesser monsters such as the blood-souls and jelleyes, there were enough snipers to cope with their attack.  It seemed absurd, considering the massive physical damage their great bodies could take, but even a Ruby Dragon could not survive a bullet piercing its eye and ripping into its brain.

And so, like the attack against Esthar, the wave of monsters that should have flattened all before them was halted in its tracks.  But, again like the attack on Esthar, that was not the end.  No.  Once more magic roared and steel shone in the dying afternoon light.  The hiss and groan of magic filled the air, along with the slick whisper of steel on flesh, cut with the whiz and whine of bullets as the snipers continued their deadly work.

They were holding.  Barely, but they were blocking the relentless advance.  That was all that mattered to Harena, and to Yarege.  This was not the real battle.  The real battle would only come when they met on the field, to fight each other to the death...and rebirth.  It mattered little to either that what was reborn would still not be them, merely tainted by their actions.  A goddess would arise, but whether she arose to bring the Armageddon that Ultemecia had failed in, or to preserve the peace that Rinoa had once briefly sought, depended on the victor.

Truth be told, all the extra fighting was merely to distract the mind, to try and create a weakness, a vulnerability that could be exploited.  For Harena the weakness created was in the control of the monsters, but for Yarege it was the desire to protect the SeeDs that fought a battle they were doomed to lose as darkness began to fall.

***

Colonel Jack O'Neill sighed as he watched Daniel step through the stargate back to their own, familiar world.  He couldn't help but wonder what they were to do in the hours that would undoubtedly pass before reinforcements – or not, as Hammond decided – arrived.

"If you wish, I can spare Seifer and Squall until the afternoon.  They can protect you if you wish to explore this area of this world."  Yarege's glance clearly included Sam in her offer, and Jack barely hesitated before answering.

"Alright."  He was suspicious though, Yarege could see it.  He was wondering if she wanted them out of the way so that they didn't see something in the excavation site.

"No."  Jack looked startled, still not used to having thoughts he believed private answered.  "I merely thought you might wish to know why there are so many mercenaries.  Why the loss of a comrade has not visibly affected them.  Why that young woman sacrificed her own life for someone she didn't even know."  Yarege shrugged.  "You can ask Squall and Seifer whatever you wish.  They will answer truthfully.  We have nothing to hide."  Jack glowered, trying unsuccessfully to hide his thoughts, which were currently irritated at her habit of lifting thoughts.  Something he strongly resented as an invasion of his privacy.

"So?  We going?"  It was the blond breaking in impatiently.  He looked as though he was itching to use the strange bladed weapon at his hip.  The blond in question arched an eyebrow, and Jack suddenly realised he had been staring at the man who was probably half his age.  He wondered what he'd seen to age his green eyes – truly jaded if one knew what to look for – what he'd done in his, as yet, brief lifetime.  

"More than you want to know."  During his pondering, a brunette had silently appeared behind them, and Jack had to control himself before surprise made him physically jump.  He turned, eyes narrowed, to glare at the newcomer.

"Don't tell me you read minds as well?!"  He moaned, not missing the slight quirk of Carter's lips.  Behind him the blond sniggered.

"No, Squall's just ~very~ good at reading body language."  Jack opened his mouth to ask how the brunette had been able to read his expression from behind, then closed it, realising that he probably didn't want to know the answer.  Squall...  Hmm, so that made the blond Seifer.  With a small sigh of resignation, he gestured for the two men to lead the way.

"Lead on Macduff..."  He muttered, not caring that it was a misquote.  It was when both the blond and the brunette turned to look curiously at him, obviously not understanding the reference, that he finally realised what had been niggling at the back of his mind.  They both bore a scar across the nose, the brunette's a mirror image of the blond's.  Their lips quirked upwards in a similar smirk as they both realised what he was staring at, but turned away without comment, leading the way up a series of metal steps to the surface.

***

Sam didn't know what she'd expected the surface of their world to look like.  Futuristic cities, majestic in their elegance, hosting towers and spires that could only have been created by sorcerous means.  Ruins, silent testament to the conflicts ravaging the planet and creating a need for so many mercenaries.  Or a world like their own, seemingly peaceful, but with so much political intrigue and backstabbing that a mercenary would never be unemployed.  Whatever she had expected, it was not what she saw.  

There was nothing.  As far as the eye could see the landscape bore no signs of human occupation. 

"Where..."

"Is everyone?"  The blond finished with a smirk.  "This continent's pretty deserted.  Besides the excavation, the only inhabited area is on another island south-west of here.  There's a structure to the south, an old temple, but that's only inhabited by monsters now."

"So, what happened to this place?"  Idly she noticed that Jack was staring around, as if he too could barely accept that such an expanse of earth had no plants growing in it, no population.  This time it was the brunette who spoke.

"The lunar cry.  The first time Lunatic Pandora was used, it was used here, and the impact of the monsters broke the continent apart, destroying the power of the sorceresses and scattering the Centra people."  There was a pause.  "We should move.  They'll begin constructing the defences soon."  Seifer chuckled.

"Not something you want to be in the way of."  The blonde took up the lead once more, and it was not lost on either Sam or Jack that Squall took up the rear.  Neatly bracketing them.

"You don't know what you're on guard against."  Again the brunette demonstrated his formidable ability to read the body language of others.  Even without being able to see them.

"So."  Jack asked after a few minutes walking in silence.  "Why are there so many mercenaries?"  There was a brief pause, then the blond answered.

"Because of things like this."  He stepped aside, allowing both Sam and Jack to see what they had run up against.  Jack heard Squall curse softly behind him, a word he didn't recognise, but the tone of voice was a clear enough interpretation.  "Squall, I hope to Hyne you brought the GFs with you."  There was a snort from the brunette.

"Someone has to remember everything you forget."  Jack didn't really pay any attention to the brief exchange.  Already enough had been mentioned that he had no concept of – such as the lunar cry, and Lunatic Pandora – for him to realise that, short as their sojourn there was likely to be, he had little hope of understanding.  Needless to say...

"What the hell is that?"  It was a measure of the gravity of the situation that neither the brunette or the blond took their eyes off the creature as they responded.

"A Ruby Dragon"  

"This may feel...odd..."  The blond added right on top of the brunette's words.  Nothing seemed to change, and then Jack O'Neill made a mistake he would rue for the rest of his life.  He looked down.  And down.  And down.  The endless blackness of space – minus the stars – was opening up beneath him.  It did begin to feel odd, as the blond had warned, a light sensation beginning to capture his limbs.  Slowly, as if moving through treacle, he looked at an arm.  There was a gasp, and it took a moment for him to realise that it was he who had gasped in disbelief.  

"I can see through my arm..."  He slowly stated.  Jack's mind had already decided that the blackness around him was too much to cope with, and was quite successfully ignoring it by concentrating on this new, and disturbing, fact.

"Sir, I think we're *outside* the space-time continuum..."  Carter's voice was as full of wonderment at the fact.  O'Neill didn't really care.  The space-time continent had never seen fit to throw him a break, so why should he care if he were outside it?  He didn't even know what it was.  "That would explain the feeling of unravelling...  There's nothing here to support our existence..."  Jack threw an uncomprehending and exasperated glance in her direction.

"If we can't exist here, how come we've not faded completely."  Carter shrugged.

"The Guardian Forces exist here.  This is where they send us when summoned, otherwise their attack would kill us."  It was the brunette who answered.  Sam was frowning.

"There's life outside the continuum?"  She shook her head.  "That's impossible."  Jack couldn't help it, he snorted in amusement.

"Considering everything we've seen, and in some cases *done*... I don't think we can really define 'impossible'."  

"Don't worry if you fall over when we get back."  The blond's words cut off any reply Carter made to Jack's comment.  Suddenly their limbs were feeling heavy again, too heavy as gravity returned once more.  As Seifer had warned, both Jack and Sam lost their balance as the ground reappeared beneath their feet.  They looked up in time to see the Ruby Dragon's corpse – or what was left of it – shimmer and vanish.

"What the hell?"  Jack's voice trailed off as he pushed himself upright and stalked over to where the Ruby Dragon had been.  There was nothing but the bare earth...and some sort of crystal shard...  He bent down and picked it up, almost dropping it in surprise as some sort of current made itself known.  But it didn't hurt, not like an electric shock.  It felt almost greasy, a feeling that made his skin crawl, and his brain urge him to drop the crystal and rub the stain it would surely leave from his hands.

Carter had joined him, and he gratefully passed the crystal over to her, automatically rubbing his hand down his trousers, despite seeing that there was no stain or taint left behind.  There was a chuckle, and Jack looked to see that Seifer was laughing quietly at their amazement.  Even Squall was half smiling.

"You're telling me that, dragon..." – he was still digesting the fact that they had been face to face with a real, live dragon – "became *that*."  Jack gestured at the crystal that Carter was now holding up to the light.  The brunette nodded.

"You mean you don't have *any* monsters on your world?"  That was the blond, Seifer, who now looked as surprised as Jack felt.  He shook his head.  "None?"  The blond seemed unable to comprehend the idea.  "What about magic?"  Again Jack shook his head silently.  "But...how do you heal yourselves in battle?"  It was Jack's turn to frown in confusion.

"I don't think they do."  Squall noted quietly.  "What's the population of your world?"  Jack shrugged, turning to Carter.

"Um...well over five billion..."  Both Squall and Seifer drew in a low hiss of breath.  

"Five billion?"  Seifer repeated, somewhat numbly.  "How in hell do you fit five billion people into a world?"

"Well, what's the population here?"  Sam asked, finally tiring of the crystal.  She kept a hold of it however.

"At a guess?  Since the toll of the last sorceress war, I'd say not more than four million."  It was Sam and Jack's turn to gasp air in surprise.

"That's nearly one hundredth the population of America alone!"  Sam burst out.  "You mean that's how many people on this entire planet?"  Squall nodded.  "What's the life expectancy?"  The brunette shrugged.

"For a SeeD... twenty-five.  A city dweller... forty-five.  Farmer... anything from twenty-five to thirty-five.  Depends where they live."  There was a long, stunned silence.

"That young?"  Sam whispered, more to herself than any of the others.  A life expectancy of only twenty-five short years.  The blond and brunette must be fast approaching that she thought, looking them over briefly.

"Here.  Let me show you a trick with that crystal."  Seifer held out his hand towards Sam, oblivious to the brief frown that flashed across O'Neill's face.  Squall however, was all too aware of the frown, and all too aware of what it meant.

Seifer, don't even pretend to make a move on her before I can hint to our friend here... he sent a brief mental image of Jack O'Neill, that we're together, and you're no real threat.  Seifer's expression didn't even flicker, but his hand lingered over the crystal no longer than was absolutely necessary to retrieve it.  Frowning in unfeigned concentration, the blond waved his free hand over the top, briefly hiding the crystal from view.  Suddenly his hand was full of silvery bullets, ten or so Jack estimated, watching the blond's every move like a hawk.  As Seifer brought his other hand to help cup them, the bullets stopped shifting, but the air above did not.  It was almost as though the bullets were giving off extreme heat, except the blond didn't appear to feel anything.

"What kind of ammunition ~is~ that?"  

"Pulse ammunition."  Jack jumped when the answer came from behind him.  "Put it away Seifer.  You can give it to Irvine when we get back."  Seifer huffed, but obediently dumped the bullets into a bag.  A bag that seemed no fatter for its new cargo.

"Not like my gunblade takes that stuff.  Not like yours needs it..."  He muttered.  Squall rolled his eyes.  Both men suddenly jerked upright, as if coming to attention.

"You have to come back."  They stated in unison.  Sam and Jack frowned at each other.  As suddenly as they had straightened, both returned to their usual, more casual, stances.  Seifer shook his head, as if dispelling a sudden dizziness.

"Damn.  Hate it when she does that."  He muttered.  Then he grinned and clapped his hands.  "Well kiddies.  Time to go back.  We're wanted on site."  Jack glowered, muttering under his breath.

"Ignore him.  He treats everyone as if they're still five."  Squall stated blandly, shooting a warning glare at his lover.  Seifer winked, completely unrepentant.  There was going to be a fight, and he was determined to enjoy what could be the last few hours of his life.

"We're going back so soon?"  Carter queried.  Surely it had only been a few hours since they left?  Seifer chuckled.

"It's noon already.  Look at your shadow."  Carter glanced down, and saw that the blond was right.  Their shadows were next to nothing, the sun high overhead.  How had it gotten there so fast?  And without them noticing?  Unless...

"How long were we outside of time?"  She wasn't sure, but Sam thought the amused eye Squall turned on her was also vaguely pleased that she had figured it out.

"About four hours.  It's not normally that long, just a few minutes, but I think the GFs wanted to study you."  Silence fell at that point, and no one saw fit to break it until they were once more descending the metal steps into the heart of the excavation site.

***

The silence of the group on its return allowed both Jack and Sam to consider the things they had seen.  Despite only being away from the excavation site for a little under six hours, the massive earthworks – that were clearly the defences mentioned by Squall as they had left – had been completed.

Almost 1000 yards from the excavation site lay a series of great ditches and crevasses that put the lines of Torres Vedras (1) to shame with their sheer scope, and easily so in terms of the amount of work done and the space of time in which it had been done.  The earthworks though were not, like the lines of Torres Vedras had been, designed to stop the enemy dead.  Merely to stall it, or break an army's charge.  Halting the attackers in their tracks – however temporarily – had been left to the second line of defences, a scant 200 yards from the excavation site.  It was, compared to the first line, almost insignificant, consisting of a long raised mound – its sides sheer and unscalable – running the entire length of the excavation site's open north-east side.  At several points there were channels – passes almost – cut into the defence.  Jack guessed that these passages were to funnel the attackers, limiting the number that were free to attack at any one point.  Against an enemy that could think, was capable of independent action and had artillery support – in other words, an army – it would never have worked, but Jack had a cold, sickening feeling that it was not such an army the mercenaries were expecting to face.  If he was correct in his thinking, it would also explain why the sorceress, Yarege, had only requested their aid at the stargate...

***

Lunch went without incident.  Sam had been cornered by the madman with the red and white ruff – a doctor he assumed – and they had both begun discussing topics that went straight over Jack's head.  They had wandered off together, still deep in discussion about – as far as he could tell – space-time and the GFs – whatever they actually were.  That left him alone with Squall and Seifer...

"So, um, what's with the scars?"  He finally asked – wishing he'd followed his intuition and left well enough alone when the temperature dropped several degrees.  Seifer looked up sharply, whilst the brunette next to him casually stood and turned away – ostensibly to return the tray – hiding a grin at the blond's discomfort.

"History."  Seifer answered tersely after a moment, also standing to return his tray.  Ok.  Jack thought.  So he now knew to leave that subject alone...

"History."  He heard himself echo, and immediately damned his curiosity – and the fact that his mouth seemed able to bypass his brain.

"Yes.  History."  The blond snapped, turning to face him.

Now, now Seifer.  Play nice with our guests.  Squall thought admonishingly to his lover.  Seifer audibly ground his teeth, fingers dancing on the hilt of Hyperion.

And what do ~I~ get out of 'playing nice'?  He demanded.

Don't worry.  The mental purr from Squall made him shiver.  I'll make it up to you later.  He then turned, swatting Seifer on the ass – making the blond jump in surprise – and sauntering out of the cafeteria, ignoring the somewhat stunned expression on O'Neill's face.

Damn straight you'll make it up.  Seifer muttered mentally, wondering when the hell Squall had become so forward.  His lover's only response was a quiet mental laugh.  "You have a problem with same-sex relationships?"  Seifer demanded of the still-surprised O'Neill.  Jack shook his head quickly.  He didn't think he had a problem, but wasn't about to admit it if he did.  He had no desire to see the weapon – a gunblade he thought it had been referred to as – at Seifer's side in action.  At least, not if he was the target.  "The scars were...an accident."  Seifer grudgingly conceded, glaring at O'Neill as if to challenge him into further inquiry.

"An accident."  Jack nearly groaned aloud.  Not only was he turning into a parrot, he was turning into a suicidal one!

Fortunately, before the scene could get ugly – or gory – Yarege materialised at the table.  Literally.  For a few moments there was absolute silence in the cafeteria, and Jack suddenly realised that he could hear noises.  Some were unmistakably gunfire, others more ambiguous, but all were in the distance.  When he finally realised that what he could hear was the fighting at the first line of defences, Seifer was gone, and Yarege was regarding him with a faint smile.

"Yes.  It has begun."  She confirmed his thoughts.  "Daniel will return soon, a matter of hours, but you will need that time to plan your positions."  This was military talk, strategies.  This was something he understood.

"Do you know how many Daniel is bringing back?"  Yarege inclined her head, muttering cryptically under her breath.

"More than I had hoped, yet less than I had expected."  Jack barely caught the words.  "Eight."  But they suddenly made sense.  "Harena must be attacking on more fronts than I had realised."  It was the first time that Jack had heard Yarege actually mention the name of the enemy's leader.  He wondered why.  "She already knows where we are.  Calling her attention to our position is no longer of account."  Well, that accounted for that.  "You should also plan your retreat in advance."  She continued, moving swiftly on as if to prevent him lingering on the subject.  Jack blinked.

"If you know we can't hold them, then why..."  Yarege held up a hand, stopping him dead.

"To hold would cost lives.  Besides, I only need the G'ould advance delayed until some of the SeeDs are free to aid you."  She cocked her head at him, appraising.  "You have never managed to defeat a G'ould one-on-one when it was their weapons against yours in a 'fair' fight."  Jack had to concede the point.  After all, the G'ould had the advantage of vastly superior technology...but, was the sorceress saying that...  "Yes.  Squall and Seifer – and most SeeDs for that matter – are capable of defeating a G'ould."  Jack decided then and there that an alliance between the two worlds had to be made, but surprisingly Yarege made no comment on the thought.

"Is an alliance between our worlds possible?"  He vocalised the thought, wondering if she had, perhaps, been concentrating on other matters and missed it.  The amused look she gave him spoke to the contrary.

"Plan for the moment.  The future must wait until we see if there will be one."  It was a gentle reprimand, and O'Neill knew it.  He was committing the greatest sin a soldier was capable of – arrogance - assuming that the war's conclusion was both foregone and favourable.  "Now, I will take you to the stargate, where Samantha Carter already awaits Daniel's return."  Jack nodded absently, mind already turning over various scenarios of the upcoming fight.  First he would deal with the initial attack – one that would be prepared for hostiles on the other side – then he would consider how they would retreat before the waves of Jaffa that they could not hope to hold forever.  But before all that, he would have to explore the layout of the facility...

AN: (1) The lines of Torres Vedras were a series of defensive earthworks constructed by Wellington during the Napoleonic wars.  At the time the French believed they had the British army on the run, and indeed this was the case, however, having driven them out of Spain completely, and within a day's march of Lisbon, they were confronted with the lines of Torres Vedras, behind which the allied army had retreated.  This was the furthest point of retreat for the British forces during the entire Peninsular war, and were only ever used once in the autumn of 1810.  The lines still exist today.

AN: woo *wipes brow* another chapter finally finished... Well, onto the next one ne? ;p  I honestly ~am~ trying – being the operative word o.O – to update with more frequency... unfortunately the muses are being a tad reluctant *grimaces*  please RxR and let me know that I'm not half-killing myself for no reason *puppy eyes* please?


	35. Opinions, Interlude II

AN: Well, I'm trying to finish this monster off *wry grin* finally figured out that the block was due to muses wanting to physically write *mock shudders* a couple of chapters o.O  Nah, it's actually been a nice change of pace, although my hand aches like fury *_*;; *hugs her computer* - can you get RSI from writing with a pen??

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Thirty-Five: Opinions, Interlude II~**

Jack was poring over a set of blueprints when Daniel – eight SG team members in tow – finally found him.  There were notes scribbled at various points in a hurried script, marking ventilation and access shafts he realised, drawing close enough to decipher the tight scrawl.

"Ahem."  He cleared his throat to alert O'Neill to his presence, arching an eyebrow at Sam in a silent request for an explanation.  She shrugged in response.  Whatever O'Neill was muttering to himself under his breath as he scribbled, frequently tracing along routes with a finger, she was either not privy to, or was unable to explain.  Daniel went to cough again, but Jack beat him to it, stopping suddenly and looking up, one hand casually marking a point on the diagram, the other curled around a battered fountain pen.  Briefly his eyes ran over the soldiers behind Daniel, counting.  Before the other could apologise and explain, Jack sighed.

"Eight.  All present and correct then."  Daniel frowned, and even Sam looked confused.  Jack waved a hand in dismissal.

"Sir...?"  It was one of the soldiers behind Daniel who had spoken.  Jack raised an eyebrow, signalling for the man to continue.  "Why are we down here when the fighting's all outside?"  For a moment it almost seemed that Jack O'Neill, Stargate's finest, would tremble with the force of some unknown emotion.  Then his iron will strengthened, holding his instinctive reactions in check.

"Because it's not our fight out there."  He responded quietly.  "And if you want to see why that is..." he gestured outside the room.  "Find a merc. and request a visit to the first defences.  They're not pushed, yet, so there should still be a couple of reserve teams still here."  He sighed, and looked down at the blueprints again.  "Be back here in an hour – and try not to get yourselves killed.  This is a highly dangerous place."  That said, he bent back to his work.  Daniel glanced at Sam and she nodded.  They had been dismissed.

***

All eight soldiers, plus Daniel, found curiosity getting the better of them and bending their steps in search of a mercenary.  As the only one who had been here before, Daniel found himself in the front, leading the expectant group.  It wasn't a role he was overly comfortable in – that of leader – but he accepted it without demurral, knowing that his arguments would only be met with 'innocent' confusion.  Despite being a civilian, he had been around the military for long enough now to know how the game was played.

Fortunately they stumbled across a SeeD almost as soon as they left he main corridor.  He didn't look in the least startled to see them, and Daniel's suspicions were confirmed by the man's greeting.

"Uh, hi.  All nine of you wanna go up top?"  Daniel could almost feel the surprise and confusion from the soldiers behind him.  By his accent the mercenary before them could have been born and bred in America.  Then another thought occurred to him.  The group behind him hadn't been there when the translation magic had been cast, so how could they understand?

Magic.  Came the amused thought in his head.  Despite the subconscious realisation that the sorceress had to be listening to their thoughts in order to send them an escort, he shuddered.  The mercenary gave him an understanding and sympathetic glance.  Clearly he wasn't the only one still getting used to the idea.

"Well, with so many of ya an all, I'll hafta grab a coupla others..."  He seemed to have taken their silence for an affirmative answer to the first question, and turned away, gesturing for them to follow.  The soldiers fell in automatically, years of training having primed them to follow orders, even if they could – as was vital for all off-world teams – operate under their own initiative.  Daniel followed at the rear, glad that the command had been taken from him.  He was a scholar, not a fighter, and he was definitely not leadership material...  Well, with a few situational exceptions, he mused, recalling the very first trip through the stargate.  The journey to Abydos that had started it all.  The amulet had made him unwitting leader then.  The amulet, and his ability to speak – however roughly – with the natives of the place...

A low whistle from one of the soldiers ahead snapped him back to the present.  They had entered a room with several mercenaries lounging around, some cleaning weapons, others writing letters.  They were preparing for the possibility that they never returned, he realised with horror.  Was this what Jack had meant about it not being their fight?

"Sara.  Joachim."  The mercenary who was their guide snapped out the two names.  Accordingly two other mercenaries in the room jumped to attention.  Well, rose to their feet and looked over in their direction.

"Yo Rien.  Wadda ya want?"  The mercenary, Rien, gestured over his shoulder at the nine off-worlders behind him.

"You just pulled escort duty with yours truly."  Daniel couldn't see, but he suspected there was a large grin on Rien's face.  From the expressions on the faces of the other mercenaries in the room, this was a long running thing.  Sara and Joachim shared a long-suffering glance, and then acquiesced gracefully, a move that seemed to take Rien by surprise.  This in turn caused an outbreak of muffled and disguised laughter amongst the others in the room.  Rien sent a baleful glare at those facing him, then turned and led the way back out of the room, muttering under his breath.

***

It was as they reached the top of the inner defences that it happened.  One of the soldiers walking behind Sara muttered a comment – Daniel didn't quite catch what it was – that Joachim, walking behind the group, did.  From the words that followed, the dark-haired mercenary had taken offence.

"If you think you can take on one of those," he gestured at a giant green creature in the distance, sporting warty, veined skin, a mass of tentacles, and a gaping maw of wicked-looking teeth, "then feel free to try going through me."  The soldier in question did a double-take.

"What the fuck is that?!"  The other soldiers were also staring in horror, for now the initial shock had worn off, they could see a battle in furious progress.  Not only that, but they could clearly see that it was man versus monster, in a battle that surely the mercenaries had no hope of winning.  ~This~ was why O'Neill had said it was not their fight.  However the mercenaries were managing it, they were holding their own.  Barely.  The soldiers knew they could never have held such an enemy in such a way.

"It's a malboro, and I hold the record for kills."  The statement was quiet, proud, but not boast, simply a revelation of a fact.  Sara didn't seem to see it the same way.

"Some day they'll be the death of you."  She sounded exasperated, but resigned.  Joachim grinned back at her.  The argument was clearly old, and familiar.

"Not today."  He announced confidently.  "We defeated Ultemecia, we can defeat this new sorceress.  Besides, look at us.  We have our own sorceress, and Almasy's on our side this time.  How can we fail?"

"And what's Seifer Almasy infamous for?"  Sara returned bitterly.  "Choosing the losing side."  Daniel's thoughts raced as Joachim shrugged.  Seifer Almasy had once fought against these people?  No wonder they had been hostile at his presence.

"Besides," Rien finally entered the conversation.  "We did have a sorceress.  Rinoa Heartilly was right alongside the Commander when they defeated that bitch!"  Joachim sneered at this.  Daniel got the impression that there were two – and only two – schools of thought about this Rinoa, one white and one black...

"Rinoa Heartilly was nothing but a spoilt brat who nearly lost us that war!  If she was the shining angel you make her out to be, where is she now?!"  The dark-haired mercenary's glare was challenging, but neither Sara nor Rien had an answer.

"Dead."  Came the cold voice from the side.  The three mercenaries snapped to attention under Squall's glare.  He waved a hand, and they relaxed, about as much as a plank of wood.  He ran a critical eye over the soldiers Daniel had brought back, and Daniel watched them straighten, recognising the calm aura of command that surrounded the young brunette.  When that gaze rested on him however, Daniel found himself swallowing a smirk, realising that he too had unconsciously stood that little bit straighter.

"And never the twain shall meet."  He muttered, watching the mercenaries reactions as Squall's iron gaze fell on them once more.  Joachim looked ready to dig a hole and bury himself in it, whilst the other two seemed uncertain.  No one really knew where Squall stood on the matter of Rinoa then, although it seemed Joachim was preparing himself for a messy death.

"Dismissed."  Was all Squall said to them though, the three snapping off crisp salutes and vanishing quickly enough for Daniel to wonder if they had teleported.  "It's nearly time."  The brunette didn't have to say any more.  They could all sense the tension in the air, the atmospherics that only the build-up to a great battle could produce.

Held silent in awe of Squall, and fear of the battle at the first defences, the soldiers quietly followed Squall and Daniel as they headed back to their own commander.

AN: well, another chapter down... non-stop action for the next two/three methinks *pats muses* as long as they continue to behave ^_~ please, RxR, let me know I'm not writing this for no reason *puppy eyes*


	36. Twilight Fading

AN: Well, chapter 36, about uh, six or seven chapters left to go :) Oh yeah, for any observant SG fans reading chpt 33 - SG-7 is actually a medical unit in the series, so uh, call it writer's licence ne? ;p

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Thirty-Six: Twilight Fading~**

It was hot work, and getting hotter as the light faded to the West.  The only consolation of the false twilight – evening hastened by the distant mountains – was that the sun couldn't quite gleam over the mountain peaks to dazzle and blind the defenders.  Still, with the ability to discern heat and scent forms rather than requiring normal sight, the monsters were definitely getting the better deal.  It was time to fall back, and the SeeDs all knew it.  

This was the time when their discipline and training would be tested to the full.  This was the time when one false move, one small mistake, and they would be lost.  The reserve SeeDs already lining the inner defences would become the last hope of those within the excavation site, and their ranks were too thin to do more than hold for a few minutes.  As the flares arced into the gathering gloom – green and glaring – the front rank SeeDs cast their protection spells, turned, and pelted a hundred yards closer to the inner defences.  There half halted, turning smoothly, junctions ready, summoning the mighty destructive power of their GFs.  The other half continued forwards another hundred yards, then they also turned, unleashing their own summons as the first SeeDs reappeared and began retreating once more.

So it went, rank leapfrogging rank all the way back to the inner defences.  Then they waited once more for Harena's monstrous army to come crashing down upon them.  The time was used wisely, heads counted, losses noted, plans adapted accordingly.  But there was also just enough time for already-weary fighters to throw back elixirs, and for those with minor wounds to cast healing magic, or swallow potions.

But the brief respite was only that.  Soon the monsters were upon them again, and the fights were short and ugly, especially down in the narrow channels where most of the fighting was now taking place.  There was no time now for any 'chivalry' that a SeeD might have shown their enemy.  Now it was about survival, pure and simple.  No quarter was given on either side, but the SeeDs were holding their own once more.  These were all seasoned fighters, not just fresh out of Garden's SeeD graduation ball, but veterans of the last sorceress war.  They were proud to be trusted by Squall to the extent where they had no overall commander, and they were all determined to prove that his trust was not misplaced.

The fighting was the most intense at the breaches, but it was by no means non-existent elsewhere along the lines.  Whilst the darkness was nearly upon them, the SeeDs were steeling themselves for that brief pause between day and night when the magic would suddenly cease to exist.  That would be the make or break moment.  If they could, in that briefest of instants, rout the monsters before them, they might be able to keep them running even when the sorceress tried to reassert her control.  Of course, that was a slim to null hope.  What the SeeDs really expected to happen was that, briefly, the monsters at the back would lose interest and begin to drift away.  That would indeed allow their vicious charge to push the monsters back, somewhat.  But they would then have to retreat rather hastily, or risk being trapped against their own defences.  That situation was not one that any of them wished to contemplate too deeply.

***

Joachim waited silently for the moment when everything around them seemed to slow.  It was a phenomenon that all SeeDs were familiar with, a heady sensation that made you feel invincible, because in that moment you seemed to be so much faster, stronger and more intelligent than whatever monster you were fighting.  It was euphoric, and one of the primary causes of death in SeeD.  After a taste of seeming immortality you would do anything, ~anything~, to feel that way again.  Drugs, sex, or breaking all the unwritten rules and deliberately getting into a fight with a nocturnal monster.

Then it came, the air seeming to suddenly dance with a million points of light.  He knew it was madness, they all knew it was madness, but it was the twilight madness, and they were gods within its embrace.  Dimly he heard himself screaming a wordless challenge, echoed by dozens of throats around him, and then they were moving as one, an unstoppable wall of humanity.  And then there was nothing but the sheer adrenaline of the moment, watching the malboro in front of him move, reduced to physical attacks, and seeming to know where each tentacle would go before the creature even did.  He danced within its reach, casually lopping parts of tentacles off as he blocked blows with his double-bladed sword.  It was easy, so easy, and he laughed at the simplicity of it all.  Perhaps, in a few moments, the world would be back to its status quo, but for now, he and his kind were kings – no, gods – and they saw fit to end the reign of such abominations as those before them.

The malboro was dead, utterly destroyed, unrecognisable except for the few limp tentacles that twitched reflexively even in death.  He stared around, looking for another, denying the rational part of his mind that screamed that now was time to pull out.  Along the line the other SeeDs, keeping their cool even in the heat of the moment, the ecstasy that surrounded them, refusing to let the feeling drag them under and to their doom, were retreating back to the relative safety of the defences.

Joachim didn't care.  He laughed again, the chilling laugh of the insane, and darted after another malboro.  That too was dead when the moment finally passed, reality returning with the darkness that was true night.  He stared around him in horror.  The monsters had fallen back, but he had fallen with them, blinded by the twilight madness to the consequences of his actions.  Now...  There was not enough time to get back to the defences...  Not enough time...

Still, he turned and ran, casting haste on himself in a last ditch effort to make it to safety.  There were other SeeDs there, waiting, urging him faster but unable to cast magic as his pursuers were too close behind.  Slowly, slowly the creatures were gaining.  A pack of them, hunting him down.  They skittered noisily on the hard earth, their pointed claws making a rustling, scratching noise that only added to the terror.  So close...  So close...  Hands reaching down towards him, ready to haul him to safety.  Others ready to block with magic should the grand mantises try to follow...

So close...  So close...  His fingertips brushed those of Sara, his eyes caught Rien's and then...  Then his mouth was opening wide in a soundless scream as blood burst forth in a bright crimson flood.  A moment's disbelief, and then Sara's mouth too was wide with a scream of despair and denial, and the tears were falling to splash on the bloodied spikes that had pierced Joachim through both lungs.  A moment longer he hung there, and then he was gone, dragged back into the darkness to the sound of tearing flesh and cracking bone.

AN: *big grin, pats muses* um, oh yeah *tries to look sorrowful* poor Sara...  Mind you, Joachim should've known he had it coming when I let him brag about his record for malboro kills ;p  sort of a malboro too far ne? :p


	37. A Losing Battle

AN: Uh, apologies in advance for any mangling of characterisation in the next bit...  I'm not too worried about characters, but I could probably do with brushing up on all the G'ould bits n pieces *blinks* so if anyone feels like listing all the problems they can find in this chapter (within reason obviously – gimme ~some~ artistic licence) please, please, please do :)  I promise, changes will be made if it's pointed out where they're needed 

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Thirty-Seven: A Losing Battle~**

"Sir!"  The shout came at the same instant as the slow grinding of the stargate became audible.  Jack O'Neill looked up from the ground that he had been absently studying as they waited for this moment.  

"Alright.  Positions everyone, and remember, stick to the plan."  There were a smattering of affirmative nods and salutes, and then the eight marines Daniel had brought back split into pairs and moved into position.

***

Potions – like legends come to life – that would restore your health, and heal wounds as you watched.  It was like some giant fantasy...sure, they'd all heard the rumours about SG1 – that they'd died and then been resurrected – but even the G'ould sarcophagus couldn't 'heal' death.  They couldn't really, unless the person inside was Tokra, G'ould or Jaffa – or had some other means of accelerated healing – heal anything too critical.  The mercenaries here though, had already demonstrated – after an encounter with the local fauna – that whilst there was still a spark of life in a living creature, they could restore it to full health.

Christian glanced at his partner, who was too intent on the stargate's movements to notice.  David wouldn't have been crouched next to him if it hadn't been for the SeeD's near-miraculous abilities.  A strange creature had attacked them on the way back from viewing the fighting outside.  A globe with four tube-like 'legs' that hovered about a foot off the ground.  Of course, David being David, he'd also been the gallant gentleman, pushing the teenage girl – Sara – out of the way.  So he'd been hit by the laser the thing had fired.  A powerful weapon, that had, with almost surgical precision, carved a deep wound across both abdomen and chest.  They had all seen what happened next.  Rien had calmly cloven the creature/machine in two with one blow of his long sword.  Joachim, on the other hand, had knelt next to the still form of David, calmly assessing the damage that had been done.

On Earth, or any other planet – with perhaps the exception of an Asgard world – the prognosis would have been bleak.  The chest cavity was visible, one lung collapsed, intestines were visible, burnt and mangled, and even the spine was visible through the gaping wound.  David himself was mercifully unconscious.  Another blessing was that the laser had cauterised the flesh as it passed, and there was little blood, even from the major arteries and veins.  Joachim had hummed to himself, and then decided, to everyone's shock, that something could be done.  He had risen to his feet, chanting something under his breath, and then had thrown his hand towards the body at his feet.  A shaft of white light had enveloped David's body, ethereal feathers drifting down from the ceiling to vanish into the wounds.  They had watched, enraptured, until a shower of red sparks fled upwards, taking the light with them.  David had sat up then, somewhat confused, willing to believe it had all been an illusion, until he found his clothes rent in a clean line that matched the long scar on his body.

Of course, once he had decided the experience had been real, he flatly refused to comment on the healing process from his point of view.  The SeeDs had seemed slightly amused, and also slightly offended at the question when it was applied to them.  The only comment they condescended to make was that it was 'a highly personal moment', but they also pointed out that whilst able to cure people on the threshold of death's domain, there was nothing they could do for those whose souls had already fled.

Still, their near miraculous potions and spells were only fair considering the lives they seemed to lead.  There were so many ways to die here – most of them through fighting...

The train of thought was shattered as the familiar rush of 'water' came from the stargate, and it was suddenly too easy to give in to the temptation to hide behind the familiar.  Too easy to imagine that this ~was~ the second Earth stargate...

Then the first Jaffa were stepping through into the harsh glare of the artificial lights.  Controlled bursts of machine-gun fire cut them down where they knelt, still searching for their enemy.  One fell partially through the stargate, and remained there for a moment, until somebody pulled the corpse through to the other side.  Christian thought of the moment between, when half the Jaffa had been here, half there, and who knew how much spread across the distance between the wormhole's two event horizons.  Immediately he tried ~not~ to think of it, nausea making his knees feel weak.  Instead he concentrated on the Jaffa now moving down the ramp of the stargate.  Were they too wondering if this was Earth?  Had they been told that they were attacking a world of powerful monsters, and fighters who were – most likely – the match of a G'ould.

Another burst of fire, and they were no longer alive.  With a sense of detachment Christian noted the faint wisp of smoke from the muzzle of his gun, realised that the shots still ringing in his ears were his own.  Then the feeling was gone.  The world snapped into focus like a wet cloth in the face, bringing with it the acrid smell of gun smoke.  Across the room another marine stiffened as if under scrutiny, his eyes glazed.  A second later, and with a sharp shake of his head, it was as if the moment had never happened.

The invasive presence moved on, testing each marine, but passing over the members of SG1.  All were blissfully unaware of both its presence, and its nature and motives.

***

Of course, the marines could have held out indefinitely, if it wasn't for two reasons.  Firstly, they had limited ammunition – the ammunition of this world being neither plentiful nor compatible with their weapons – and secondly, bullets just couldn't penetrate the personal shields of the G'ould.  So when the distinctively armoured figure of a G'ould stepped through, the retreat began.

AN: Uh, yeah, two kinda short chapters there, but it's deliberate cause of what I wanna do with the next chpt :) see, it's actually planned from this point! ;p  

Hmm, well, probably about time I caught up with review responses ;)

Lady Yuskreven: hehe, yeah, just a little while *grimaces* gomen for the whole lack of updates ~and~ lack of comment replies *looks sheepish* I've been trusting the ff.net review system to alert me when someone reviews, but apparently it's not been doing a very good job *glares at it* anyway, glad you're still onboard :)

Myeerah: *grins* actually Teal'c isn't my favourite... to be honest, I'd have to go for a tie with my favourites, and they are O'Neill (surprise surprise!!) and Maybourne ;)  I tried to go a bit more in-depth with the whole 'differences' thing but this chapter at least doesn't really lend itself to much introspection.  Look out for a few deep thoughts from various characters after the fighting's settled down tho...  Oh yeah, and on the whole personality shift of Seifer/Squall...that's because of the whole mental link they now have.  I'm trying to make Seifer a bit more like Squall, and vice versa, hence some of the slightly OOC moments.  I don't think the changes have really dawned on the rest of the orphanage gang...yet ;) what with all the other pressing concerns atm, but it'll be interesting when/if they do...  To be honest, I'm at the stage where I just want to get this monster finished so I've got one less WIP to take to uni with me o.O


	38. Falling Away

AN: Again, comments, criticism, reviews and general suggestions all welcome.  If people point out mistakes I ~will~ make an effort to correct them :)

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Thirty-Eight: Falling Away~**

The sounds of fighting were almost uncomfortably close now that the G'ould had launched their attack through the stargate in earnest.  Yarege however, had reassured them all that everything was going to plan, and had then dismissed the reserve SeeDs to reinforce the defenders outside the excavation site.  Squall too had reassured those who remained, simply by virtue of his calm presence.  Indeed, for a moment Selphie could almost believe they were fighting Ultemecia once more... but only for a moment.  Too much was different for this to be her nightmare come true.

The tension in the small room reached its peak as Seifer sauntered in, smug grin firmly fixed on his face.

It's time.  His mental voice was sombre though, carrying perhaps, to the perceptive listener, a hint of... fear?  Not for himself however, but for Squall.  Seifer, ever since the Ultemecia incident, had become rather adept at keeping his own hide intact, and had learnt that the 'noble sacrifice' in the line of duty left much to be desired.  Such as life.  Squall had not, and Seifer was concerned that, should it come to pass, Squall would blindly sacrifice himself without a second thought.

Contrary to what you seem to think, Squall remarked dryly in his lover's mind, I don't have a death wish.  Seifer stared balefully at him, unheeding of the confused glances swapped between Selphie, Zell, Irvine and Quistis.  Only Edea remained unfazed, knowing, or at least guessing that the two were conversing telepathically.

"Squall...?"  Quistis began.

"Alright."  Squall cut in before she could say any more.  "Let's get ready to go kids."  There was a stunned pause as everyone tried to equate the words – so very, ~Seifer~ - with the Squall they thought they knew.  The silence stretched as repeated attempts to do so failed.

"Well?"  Seifer's voice sounded so like Squall's at that moment, that everyone decided, with a near audible sigh of relief, that the earlier words had also been Seifer's.  That decided, they checked their junctions and readied their more powerful spells.  Night-vision visors were also passed around, taken gratefully by all except Yarege.

"Selphie, Zell.  Take the Ragnarok and give us some covering fire."  The bouncy brunette nodded, dashing away immediately.  Zell baulked, and Squall fixed him with a glare.  "Today is not a day for hand-to-hand fighting."  Zell finally dropped his gaze, then turned and hurried away as Selphie's impatient yell drifted to them.  "Let's go."

***

"Fall back!"

The marines were moving before O'Neill's shout had finished echoing, heading for their assigned 'escape' routes.  Having seen the creatures on the outside of this world, most were also quietly deciding that if the worst came to the worst, there would be at least one bullet remaining in their weapons.

Scattered flashes of blue zat fire speeded the marines on their way as the G'ould advanced, allowing the Jaffa to gain a foothold behind it.  A few bullets bounced off her personal energy shield and were accorded all the notice a fly buzzing against a window might get.  Halfway into the room she stopped, regally superior behind her impenetrable shield, to let her Jaffa take up the advance once more.

The tide of battle was turning, or at least that was how it seemed to the Jaffa.  As far as Shara was concerned, whilst never having fought the tau'ri herself, she had heard that they were cunning fighters, never ceding ground unless against overwhelming force, or according to some greater plan.  Still, even if this was a feint, the marines ~were~ retreating.  As the fight moved from the open excavation site however, it became clear that more than a simple fight was taking place.

The very earth itself seemed to object to the alien presence of the G'ould and Jaffa.  Rock falls seemed to trigger themselves, or by some unseen commander's unheard commands, and the Jaffa found themselves battling the monsters that inhabited the place in order to reach their intended targets.

Back in the main excavation site, even Shara was finding herself beset by the indigenous creatures.  She was surprised, displeased to say the least, for Harena had not warned of this hazard, and it was proving a not inconsiderable hindrance.  They were no match for her of course - what creature after all was? – but the reports from the scouts endeavouring to track the tau'ri were disheartening.  The creatures seemed to be controlled by someone, or something.  It confirmed the gut feeling of watchfulness that the G'ould had felt from the moment she stepped through the gate.  There was a presence here, ancient and incredibly powerful, and it objected to their presence.  Could it be that the planet itself was reacting to their presence?  Surely not, and yet...

Shara was an old G'ould, old enough to be called ancient when the home planet of the tau'ri had first been found, and the seeding of the other G'ould planets begun from that first earth stock.  She was one of the few who still remembered, or gave any credence to the tales and legends of their forefathers.  Legends such as that of the 'hidden planet', said only to appear every seven millennia, but to be the home of the 'perfect' hosts.  Or the world of dreams, where time's passage was different for every person upon its surface.

But this planet, and this feeling, spoke to Shara of neither myth nor legend, but prophecy.  A prophecy that, if true, signalled the end of the G'ould's – until recently - undisputed rule of the galaxy.  For whilst there were, admittedly, several races capable of defending against the G'ould – the Asgard mainly, but others in the outer fringes, where weaker G'ould's claimed lordship, and more recently the Replicators and the tau'ri – the capability existed, outside the council's moral code, to crush those races entirely.  Indeed, Seth had been exiled from the council for daring to use those methods to cow an entire race into eternal submission.

The prophecy though, known only by a few powerful individuals now, was known by them as the 'sunset' prophecy, for it claimed to herald the end of the G'ould.  There was debate, or had been when it was more widely known, whether it was indeed prophecy, or a curse laid upon them by some ancient race they had displaced.  Either way, it spoke of the tau'ri emerging as a powerful force against the G'ould, of the Asgard race finally running its course and falling from power to fade out of existence, and it spoke of a planet.  A planet holding the soul of one of the most powerful beings in the universe.  The planet known as Tsokuwaru Eled'ra.  The planet of joined elements.  Could this be that planet?  Could the end of the G'ould really be looming, mere decades or centuries away?

It seemed impossible to comprehend, especially for Shara, who had seen the G'ould's rise to their current position of power.  Yet, she had also witnessed the tau'ri's emergence as a force to be reckoned with, and now she was standing on the surface of a planet that, to her mind, filled the description of Tsokuwaru Eled'ra...

***

The instant the Ragnarok, with its bright spotlights and loud engines, took to the skies, the defenders and Harena knew the counter-attack was imminent.  This was confirmed when Quistis, Irvine, Edea, Squall, Seifer and Yarege appeared behind the SeeDs holding the monsters back in one of the gullies in the defences.  The monsters there scattered, parting before them like a reverent crowd under Edea's concentrated powers.  The defence line also parted to let them through, falling back with gasps of awe for the majestic scene the group made.  

Squall and Seifer, every inch the knights of a sorceress, led the procession, Yarege two steps behind, flanked by Quistis and Irvine, with the rear brought up by golden-eyed Edea.  

Further ahead the first of the Ragnarok's heavy weaponry slammed into the massed ranks of the monsters, felling great swathes before the small group's stead advance.  As Harena shifted her focus, however, the further ranks of monsters thinned, thickening instead too close to the group – now halfway between the two lines of defences – for the Ragnarok's indiscriminate strafing to be of any real use.

They should pull back and help the defenders mop up.  Squall remarked to Yarege, the request that she let them know unnecessary between the knight and his sorceress.  High overhead the Ragnarok wavered in its flight for a bare second, then swung away, back towards the inner defences.

With Harena's will more focussed, Edea was no longer able to hold off the monsters on all sides.  Instead the two SeeDs and the two knights began to fight, whilst Edea kept them safe from back attack, and Harena guided the direction of their steps.

Finally, at the outer defences, they saw their enemy for the first time.

***

Harena, astride her peculiar mount, watched them as they battled towards her.  It was truly a pity, she mused, that she had not managed to keep Squall, but that was no matter now.  The SeeDs, and Yarege's two knights, would be sorely needed back at the gate to fight the G'ould, which meant they could not defeat her by destroying her physical body as Yarege tried to take her mind.  Edea would not interfere, but she would prevent any stray monsters from tipping the balance in favour of one or the other.

As the small group finally fought their way clear, Harena released her hold on the monsters that had formed her army, and watched as Yarege dismissed all but Edea from her side.  Smirking, she dismounted from her almost-griffin and dismissed it with a careless wave of her hand.

Now would come the real fight.

AN: woohoo... one chapter down, and at least two more to go... today ;)  the mad writing marathon has begun!! *goes in search of more coffee* oh yeah, Tsokuwaru Eled'ra is (as far as I know) completely from my own brain (hence the weirdness) and is derived in the following way ;p

Tsokuwaru breaks down into three parts, Tso, meaning 'the', kuwa, meaning 'planet', and ru, meaning 'of'.  Again, this is completely made up by me, so don't go trying to figure out what language it is ;)

Eled'ra came from the idea that the Tokra are a benevolent symbiosis between the tau'ri and another race (not sure which), and that the tau'ri are the host stock the G'ould prefer, hence the 'ra' – meaning joined (in a beneficial way, where 'ri' would indicate a forced joining).  Eled, of course, means elements (of course *rolls eyes at self*) 

So there we are, Tsokuwaru Eled'ra, literally, the planet of joined elements.  Now if you can't figure out what the hell that has to do with the ff8 world...(think elements...GFs...;p)

myeerah: *grins* thanks, I tend to try and give a general overview, and then narrow down to focus on the exploits of one or two particular fighters.  As for the trade between the worlds...well, that would just give it all away ;)


	39. The Duality Of Hyne

AN: Here we go, starting the second chapter in my chapter binge... warning to all authors, this is what happens when you end up on a cruise a week before you go uni with a fic so close to finishing it's not even funny @_@  *wanders off in search of muse* is there a record for chapters written in one day?

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them... oh yeah, and the poem at the end is mine as well – hands off :p

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Duality of Hyne~**

For a minute after Yarege's entourage had turned to fight their way back to the excavation site, and the G'ould, the two beings stared at each other.  Edea's watchful presence was forgotten as they closed the distance between them to only a few feet, just out of arms reach.  They circled, warily, eyes searching for that faint slip of their opponent's mask that might indicate weakness, or might merely be a feint.

"And even at the last, you still believe you can win."  It was Harena who spoke and, surprisingly, her statement seemed to surprise Yarege.

"Do you truly believe that you are stronger?"  Yarege asked with a frown.  This close the disparity in their strengths was clear to her, and Harena was much the weaker.  Well, maybe not that much, but enough to make victory in a straight fight impossible...  Harena smirked as Yarege realised the other's intent.  "No.  That is a violation of the combat."  The other laughed, never taking her eyes off Yarege's outraged countenance.

"Of course it is my dear sister.  You truly expected me, ~me~ to play by the rules?"  Yarege knew she had only herself to blame for the gross error that now threw everything back into confusion.  "In fact," Harena continued, "it is only thanks to you that there is an individual strong enough for me to do this."  Yarege's mind was racing, although her face reverted to a blank mask.  Harena tutted.  "Too late for regrets now.  Surrender to me, and perhaps I shall allow your little allies to return home unharmed."

"You lie."  Yarege stated coldly, knowing her words to be true.  Harena would spare no one if she were to win.  "Besides, now I have nothing to lose, and I have ~two~ knights."  Harena's lips curled upwards in a cold, cruel imitation of a smile.

"Yes..."  She purred.  "And they are the only ones who can defeat the G'ould."  Tricked and outmanoeuvred, Yarege had no option left but to bow to the inevitable.

"Very well..."  She whispered, so quiet that Harena frowned and leaned forwards to catch the words, thinking perhaps the other were trying to cast a spell, or summon help.  The shock as she discerned the capitulation in Yarege's face held her immobile too long, too close to the other.  There was a blinding flash of light as Yarege's hand touched her own, and then everything was suddenly different, the tables suddenly reversed in their new arena.

***

The world around them was frozen, or seemed to be.  They were no longer operating within the bounds of mere mortal flesh.  This was the battleground of the mind, and decades here were mere seconds in the world outside.  There was silence here too.  Pure, crystal clear silence.  Not even the faintest sound of battle drifted to them.  

The two beings stared at one another, seeing each other's true form for the first time.  They were both beautiful.  Two halves of one whole, but one with darker looks and aura than her sister of light.  They stared, weighing each other up, knowing, despite the disparity in their strengths, that there would be no easy victory.

***

Outside, in a world that was no more or less real than that which Harena and Yarege now fought within, Squall and Seifer stumbled.  They shared a look that was more of a grimace, but despite the urge to rush to their sorceress's rescue, they instead turned their determined blades towards more earthly foes.

Irvine and Quistis were left staring after the two knights in awe, watching as they worked in perfect unison.  The monsters before them never stood a chance and were left dead, or dying in pieces, as the two young men carved their way through to the excavation site.

The Ragnarok had done a good job, before its ammunition ran out, and they had returned to the excavation site.  Many of the monsters were fleeing now, and a handful of SeeDs were using GFs to 'encourage' the rest to follow.  As they passed through, Squall stripped the defenders ranks of certain, pre-arranged SeeDs, forming a column of twenty that descended into the maze of tunnels and rooms that comprised the old Lunatic Pandora excavation site.  Pairs of SeeDs split away down corridors, moving to a search pattern that they had used when they had first cleared the site for its recent use.

***

Now it was mind against mind, soul versus soul, and heart opposing heart.  Their mental forms swayed back and forth with the ebb and flow of their unseen battle.

In the real world there was nothing to indicate that they were locked in a life and death struggle.  Their two bodies, watched over and guarded from external harm by Edea, lay peacefully beneath the moon's rays as though they merely slept.  But within, where the battle raged, there was no pause for thinking a philosopher's thoughts.

Here in the mind there were no rules except those one created for oneself.  Physics was of no consequence, gravity did not exist, unless one wished it, nor did time and space.  A mind could be barely large enough to fit an atom, or it could encompass an entire universe and beyond, or any state in between.  Mental form was not fixed either, and as the two minds locked with one another in furious combat, both Harena and Yarege began to shift in their appearance.  Claws, fangs, armour plated hide, both fighting to adapt to the others attacks whilst shifting to find the chink in their opponent's defences.

Like the earlier fierce fighting between the SeeDs and the monsters of Harena's army, mental sweat and blood flowed freely from both combatants, and exhaustion began to creep up on them, weighting their thoughts and slowing their moves.  Still, neither was willing to back down, nor were they willing to ease up, lest they were thought – and found – weak.

And then, noticed first by Yarege, the revitalising presence of Hyne began to creep through their joined minds, the planet's mighty soul striving to free itself through whatever means available to it.  And with that presence came another source of power, one that could tip the balance of their fight in favour of either.  But Yarege was first to notice it, first to reach out and begin to gather it to herself, wrapping its power around her like a shield.

Too late Harena sensed the new power source.  Too late she tried to snatch it for her own, only to bounce off the thick shield of Yarege.  A calm settled on the two fighters.  The end was finally here, and it had fallen to Yarege to assume the black mantle of victory.

With a keening wail she struck the deathblow to her sister.  A cry of victory, and a cry of mourning and loss all at once.  The cry echoed within the minds that were now forever fused into a new creature.  One as old as time, and yet newborn.  Both Harena and Yarege faded from their single, small existences, leaving only eargarea, nothing, in their wake...

***

In the depths of the excavation site's tunnels both Squall and Seifer let out a victorious yell...

***

In the excavation site itself, Shara felt the planet's presence ebb and fade away, and was filled by relief...

***

Deep in a ventilation shaft somewhere in the excavation site Jack O'Neill suddenly had the impression that a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, the feeling of danger vanishing like mist under the sun...

***

But on the other side of the excavation site, cornered by half a dozen Jaffa, and already hit once by zat fire, Daniel Jackson was in no position to feel anything except numb...

AN: ahem... *looks around nervously* well, I felt poor ol' Daniel was getting left out a teeny bit... and I didn't want to have everything suddenly going right... (cause like that ever happens!) so yeah, um, oh well, on to the next chapter! oh, unless you want to see the poem that the fight between Yarege and Harena is based on (cause after I'd written the damn thing I couldn't get a proper fight scene going *grimaces*) in which case, read on ;)

Back and forth they swayed and fought

Duelling with their minds

Soul to soul and heart to heart

Meeting no one's eyes

Beneath the moon, beneath the skies

Two bodies lay as though at rest

But 'twas all a thin disguise

For they fought without a pause

Neither bound nor held by physic's laws

Nor constrained by time's swift passage

Baring teeth, unsheathing claws

The mental duel was unrelenting

Outside the fights as unforgiving

Fang and paw 'gainst sword and whip

Blood and sweat, no time for feeling

No quarter asked, no quarter given

At last some blood-soaked hope is riven

Torn from the very jaws of hell

Fresh troops attack, unbidden

To sound the victory cry

Two lone fighters, but one must die

And the victory call is but a deathly keen

The winner lives, and yet doth sigh

For a sister's death signals fate's descent

The twain now one, as was meant

But victory's sweet taste is limited

Tho heaven on earth now be sent

Its time is swiftly over

*grins* reviews welcome :)


	40. Lionheart

AN: Here goes the third chapter... in three freakin' hours!!!  *keels over* oh yeah, this looks like it's gonna get a little long (@_@) so bear with it... the remaining three chapters are likely to be shorter (at least, at the moment they are!)

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Forty: Lionheart~**

The feeling of danger returned with a rattle of metal as the grate of the ventilation shaft was removed.  O'Neill, moving awkwardly in the cramped space, managed to fumble the machine gun and himself around to face the imminent threat.

"Sir?"  Samantha's whispered query echoed in the shaft.  He motioned her to quiet with his free hand.  Perhaps, if they were lucky, the Jaffa would decide the noise had been one of the strange rubbery creatures that infested this place, and would leave them be.

"O'Neill?"  The voice was distorted, but not Jaffa.  Neither was it anyone Jack recognised.

"Sir?"  The voice was unsteady, the uncertainty amplified by the shaft's acoustic properties.  "Uh, the mercenaries are back Sir.  They're mopping up the Jaffa like...like, well, you have to see it to believe it Sir."  Awe filled the marine's voice.  But O'Neill recognised it nonetheless.  

"All right.  C'mon Carter."  Sam breathed a sigh of relief.  She wasn't claustrophobic, but what with the fear of being cornered in one of these rat-traps, either by Jaffa or by one of the indigenous creatures, it had been getting a little, fraught.

Jack O'Neill took the hand that was proffered to aid him from the shaft, and found himself surprised by the strength in Squall's slim frame as the brunette effortlessly pulled him free.  Immediately he turned to aid Sam as she struggled out behind him.

"So what now?"  Squall grinned at O'Neill's question.

"Now?  Now we hunt G'ould."

"Jaffa."  One of the marines corrected.  "The ones with the stamped foreheads are Jaffa."  Squall turned an amused eye on the speaker, who seemed to quail somewhat before the sapphire gaze.

"Small fry.  The others can deal with them well enough.  No, I mean G'ould.  The one in charge."  That said, the brunette abruptly turned and began walking away.  With a shrug, O'Neill looked at the motley group he now seemed to be in charge of.

"Fall in.  Looks like we're backup in this 'hunt'."  Snapping to attention, the marines fell in behind Jack and Sam, and followed the two after the disappearing SeeD commander.

***

The numbness in his limbs, and the grogginess in his mind was easing.  The zat's effect's wearing off.  Daniel suppressed the instinct to groan, some survival instinct warning him that doing so could earn him an instinctive second shot.  That would be lethal, unless he had fully recovered from the first shot, which he hadn't.  There seemed to be some confusion with what to do with him amongst the Jaffa, the debate mainly focussed on whether the G'ould, Shara, wanted him dead or alive.  

"Hi guys!"  A cheerful, and familiar voice came from behind the Jaffa.  Alicia, the SeeD linguistics expert, waved cheerily at the six Jaffa and didn't even flinch at the zat and staff fire that was instantly thrown at her.  The Jaffa relaxed as she was enveloped in an electrical firestorm, only to gasp in surprise, and a little fear, when she emerged from it completely unharmed.

But these Jaffa had fought rival G'ould before.  They knew the weakness of the personal shields was that they were designed to protect against fast projectiles or energy weapons.  An arrow or thrown knife, even a rock from a sling, could penetrate with deadly affect.  Staffs and zats were abandoned to the floor in favour of long knives.  Still Alicia smiled, only now it was more of a predatory smirk, and Daniel noticed for the first time the two long knives she held.

It was almost as if the SeeD danced into the melee that ensued, moving fluidly to the rhythm of music only she could hear.  One by one the Jaffa dropped to the floor, their throats slashed or their chests pierced.  There was the occasional unexplained flash of pink when the Jaffa attacked, but as she and the last Jaffa backed away from each other Alicia was unharmed.  Making a gesture that Daniel assumed was to ward off evil, the Jaffa advanced once more.  But this time something seemed to go wrong for the SeeD.  There was a bright flash of pink that temporarily blinded all three, and a loud curse from the girl.  When Daniel could see again, Alicia was standing awkwardly, one arm wrapped around her abdomen, and dark blood soaking through her clothes.  Victoriously the Jaffa closed in for the killing blow...

***

Alicia could feel the wound was mortal – or would be unless another SeeD miraculously arrived to use a phoenix down on her.  As the Jaffa approached once more, the narrowing of her vision not due entirely to concentration anymore, she steeled herself for the final blow.  The tall armoured man placed a hand upon her shoulder, perhaps to prevent her trying to dodge, perhaps as a gesture of respect.  Either way, it gave her the opening she needed.  As the Jaffa's wide blade came down, Alicia's narrow blade went up...

***

Daniel watched in horror, still paralysed by the zat fire that had hit him, as Jaffa and SeeD both crumpled to the ground.  The Jaffa was dead before he hit the floor, Alicia's knife driven up under the ribs and into his heart, but she lived still.  Not for much longer though.  Her blood loss was already severe from the abdominal wound, and the chest wound, where the Jaffa's knife lay, a mere hairsbreadth from her heart, was driving the last of her life from her.  Already the brown eyes that had danced with laughter only a few minutes ago were glazing over, the light inside dying and leaving them dull.  

As the final spark of life fled, unable to even reach out and close the eyes that saw no more, Daniel closed his own eyes and wept...

***

That was how Seifer, and his small following of three marines, found them mere minutes later.  The six Jaffa and lone SeeD all dead, and Daniel, tear tracks staining his cheeks, in the corner.

With a sigh, Seifer crouched, drawing his hand gently over Alicia's face and closing her eyes forever.  Daniel looked up at the sound, normally placid features marred with guilt and anger.

"She died in the line of duty.  She will never be forgotten."  The marines, who had been questioning Seifer for long enough to know what the blond meant, dipped their heads in respect.  Daniel, however, heard only the words, and neither the emotion they were spoken with, nor the ritual way in which they were said.

"Death in the line of duty isn't honourable!  It's a tragedy!" He hissed angrily.

"Yes, it is.  But SeeDs accept that it happens and ensure that none die in vain."  Seifer responded calmly.  The sentiments felt strange to him, when he considered that less than half a decade ago he had been directing the Galbadian army against SeeD, but the time that had passed had allowed him to reflect on his past actions.  It was easier, without the distorting control of a sorceress manipulating his mind, to see where his values and beliefs had been warped, and easier still to reconcile himself with the 'sudden' change of heart.

"How can you believe that?  There is no wrong and right in war."  Daniel demanded, thinking of all the wars on earth.  It was the same argument as war only having losers, not winners.

"Because ultimately there is.  Do you fight the G'ould merely because they are there?"  Seifer asked patiently.

"No.  We wouldn't..."  Slowly, as Seifer refused to rise to his bait, Daniel's anger was cooling, and now understanding trembled on the verge of recognition.

"Exactly.  We have a small population compared to yours.  We have a low life expectancy, and many more indigenous hazards.  We do not 'in-fight' without some greater power directing that fighting.  That power is wrong, by all definitions."

"What if the victory of the greater power would lead to peace in the long term?"  Daniel asked, curious now as to how people who lived with violence every day could still have such pacifistic views.

"The loss of life is not acceptable.  Whatever the destination, the road must be worthy of it, and peace forged by blood will never last."  The destination reflected the road, and the road the destination.  Ultemecia's blood-soaked road had led towards a future that was past and present combined in the here-and-now, a state that none but she would have survived.

The marines behind them shuffled their feet in impatient response to the tension that was slowly filling the excavation site, and Seifer straightened, offering Daniel a hand, and helping him to his feet.

"Come.  Or we'll miss the show."  Exchanging blank looks with the marines, Daniel followed Seifer with a puzzled expression on his face.  What show?

***

The remainder of the journey back to the stargate was, for the most part, unhindered.  Well, Jack mused, considering the ease with which the brunette had dealt with the two Jaffa they had encountered, maybe even that hadn't been a hindrance.  The main excavation room however, was a different story.  It was heavily defended – at least twelve Jaffa from the brief glance he had gotten before being unceremoniously pushed behind some crates – and the G'ould was also there.

"Are you insane?"  O'Neill hissed at Squall, seeing the brunette, unconcernedly standing in full view of the room to survey the positions of the Jaffa and G'ould.  His only answer was an eyebrow quirked upwards in amusement as the SeeD commander pulled his gloves to a tighter fit.

"Possibly."  And then Squall was striding out into the centre of the room.

The Jaffa seemed uncertain whether they should fire or not, then the G'ould gestured, and blue zat fire and yellow staff fire streaked towards the unconcerned brunette.

"That's it.  He's fried."  One of the marines commented morosely, averting his eyes.  They'd met Squall barely five minutes earlier, had only spoken with him to answer his questions on the whereabouts of O'Neill and Sam Carter, and yet any of them would have volunteered without a second thought if he had requested a suicide volunteer.

"No he's not!"  The exclamation burst from Sam's lips along with a laugh of pure wonder.  Indeed, as they stared through the thinning cloud of smoke – caused by the volley of shots – it was clear that Squall hadn't even been phased by the attack.  He had merely stopped walking, but now he resumed his steady stroll towards the G'ould herself, idly drawing his gunblade as he went.

Another Jaffa, either more determined or less surprised than the others, sent another burst of staff fire towards the brunette.  This time everyone watching saw the blue shield that shimmered into visibility as the staff fire hit it.  Squall paused, and turned to face the Jaffa who had fired – and now seemed to be regretting it.  Gunblade held in his left hand, the brunette raised his right hand to his forehead, muttering unintelligible words before casting the hand in the direction of the Jaffa.  The squeak and crackle of ice cut through the sudden silence.  The Jaffa stood, turning to run.  But he was too late, and his companions watched as he was literally frozen in place by the blizzaga spell.

Evidently - after witnessing the gruesome death of the Jaffa - not wanting Squall any closer, the G'ould brought a small crossbow up.  She clearly believed, as did everyone not native to the planet, that his 'shield', so similar to the G'ould personal shield, had the same weaknesses.  They were disabused of that notion when the crossbow bolt bounced off the shimmering blue surface to land on the floor with a sad clang.

Squall raised his hand to his face again, casting another spell.  Shara vanished into a whirling vortex of black and blinding white...  Only to reappear seconds later, looking pale and shaken, but otherwise unharmed.  There was a low whistle of awe from one of the marines.  Face tightening into a scowl, Shara held her own hand up, the fiery circle in her palm beginning to glow with an unnatural light.  Squall didn't even hesitate, casting what could only be a defensive spell, as it bathed him in green light before fading from view.  The gold beam so terribly familiar to all those who had encountered G'ould before shot out...

And was blocked by the green shield.

Shara stumbled backwards a couple of steps, perhaps suddenly uncertain of herself, perhaps pushed there by the force of the beam, for it vanished seconds later.  Squall's retaliation was swift, a blinding shaft of red light running from his outstretched hand to the G'ould, who seemed to dwindle beneath its force, enveloped by the flare of white light that exploded in her face.

"Holy shit!"  The exclamation came from the opposite side of the room to Jack and Sam, who looked over in time to see Seifer intercept a spurt of zat fire intended for the marine who had exclaimed.  His response was no more merciful than Squall's had been.  The Jaffa, already fleeing having seen the blue shield around the blond, was swiftly overtaken and consumed by a whirling tornado of fire.  His screams echoed in the room, but neither Squall nor Shara seemed to hear them.

The G'ould shield had proven a match for both holy and flare, whilst the protect and reflect spells were their equal.  It was, seemingly, a standoff.  Unless, of course, one or other of the two were merely sizing up their opposition...

***

Shara stared at the human before her.  He was only a child, even by their standards, and yet he had met her attacks without flinching, and had shown he possessed considerable power himself.  He had shown command of the elements...

"Tsokuwaru Eled'ra."  She whispered quietly.  Proudly, defiantly, she drew herself up.  She would die here, if it was fated that she would, and if it were so, then as befitted her status, she would die with honour.  Her sharp eyes narrowed at a faint flicker of blue around the boy.  Suddenly he didn't seem so certain.  His shield had just failed she realised, smirking triumphantly.  It was not fated that she should die here and now.

Shara chanted the ancient words, making the gestures that only a few now knew.  Few less had the age and skill to successfully perform this battle rite, even if they could make the sounds and the movements.

The tau'ri were watching closely she knew.  She could feel their eyes on her, their surprise, curiosity.  Let them watch.  Let them watch as their champion fell before her might.

***

At first it seemed as though the G'ould were breaking out in some sort of strange sweat.  Beads of darkish liquid began appearing across her skin.  But then those beads began to flow together in ways that defied physics.  Slowly a serpent-like creature began to form, much like a skeletal oarfish, but fiercer and with leathery appendages along its back that almost resembled wings.  

The brunette seemed unaware of the danger he was in, and yet at the same time, seemed to be waiting for the creature to strike.

***

Shara watched as the boy just stood there, waiting for her to attack.  Did he know that running would merely increase the damage the phantom would do?  Or was it fear that held him in place?  No...she thought.  There was no fear in his frozen eyes, only patience and determination.  No matter.  She had yet to find the enemy who could withstand the phantom's venom.

Ritual finished, the phantom slithered from its position, draped around her shoulders and neck, down her arm, the chill touch of its passage soothed away by her G'ould healing abilities.  Fanged mouth wide, venom already dripping to the floor, where it burned the metal with its chill poison, the phantom coiled at the end of her outstretched arm and lunged.

***

Squall felt the creature's chill body loop around his own several times, its acid scales burning their way effortlessly through his clothes and into his skin, imparting more of the lethal venom even as its fangs sank deeply into his shoulder to deliver their deadly poison.

With difficulty he did not need to feign, Squall drew in harsh breaths, sinking to his knees as the phantom vanished.  His clothes slid, falling away from his torso to hang from his arms.  Deep red wounds, already inflamed from the poisonous touch, were visible beside older and paler scars from the Ultemecia war.

His vision began to darken at the edges, tunnelling so that all he could see was the G'ould, smirking down at him.  Squall struggled for the control, the strength, to snarl back at her.

***

Shara nearly laughed aloud at the defiance in the brunette's eyes.  Such a shame that she was unable to make him a host.  He would have been perfect.  Still, he was fading fast now, the red of his wounds beginning to spread as his traitorous body distributed the venom in his blood around itself.  Not, though, fast enough for her liking.  Smirking, she drew a long, slim dagger and stepped towards him...

***

Edea watched reverently as first Harena's body, and then Yarege's, shimmered and vanished.  Then there was nothing but the white mist pouring from the earth itself, rising into a whirling pillar that then condensed itself into a brightly shining cloud.  The sorceress fell to her knees as it drifted towards her, bowing her head in acknowledgement of Hyne's power.

"My Queen..."  She breathed, still staring fixedly at the ground beneath her knees.

"Rise daughter...  You are no less for having only a fraction of my power."  Edea did as she was bidden, and found herself enveloped in the cloud, floating, cradled in the arms of Hyne as they sped across the land.  She felt no fear.  How could she in the embrace of the one to whom she owed her powers?  Hyne the mother, bearing her daughter to witness destiny's turning point.

***

Daniel started to rise as Squall sank to his knees, only to be pushed back down by Seifer.  He stared up at the blond in horror and confusion.

"You'd let your lover die?"  Seifer blinked in surprise.

"How'd you know...?"

"I listen."  Daniel snapped.  Oh well, Seifer realised, that explained the dirty looks some of the female – and male – SeeDs had been giving him.

"Hmm.  Well, don't let yourself be fooled.  He's taken far worse wounds from me without wincing."  Of course, that was a lie, but Seifer was confident Squall knew exactly what he was doing.  Even if the blond did have his fingers crossed tightly behind his back where no one else could see them.

Across the room a similar conversation was taking place...

***

"Sir, we can't just let him die...!"  Jack patted Sam somewhat awkwardly on the shoulder.

"Does the blond look worried?"  She squinted across the room.

"No..."  Although...did he have his fingers crossed behind his back?  Sam couldn't quite make it out.

"Well, if he's not worried about his boyfriend who are we to interfere?"  There was a moment's pause as Carter digested this new information.  It certainly explained why O'Neill had relaxed around them.  He was too damn protective for his own good – or hers – sometimes.

"What if he ~does~ look worried?"  Jack shot her his own worried look.

"Then we start planning for Armageddon."  Sam would have laughed, only Jack O'Neill was 100% serious...

***

Shara stepped closer to the brunette fighter, savouring the sound of his laboured breaths.  He was fighting the phantom's poison, but it was a useless fight.  Even without her intervention he would die.  It would just take longer, and be far more painful.  In a way, she was being merciful.  He had been a worthy opponent though, he perhaps deserved this mercy.

Another step and no reaction.  He was staring defiantly through her now, his eyes unable to track her movement and refocus on her new position.  Her last suspicions of a trick faded and died.  If he were to make one last attack he would have done so by now.  There was no way he could be strong enough to hold off the phantom's venom this long and still attack with a force sufficient to threaten her now.

Another step brought her within two feet of him and his strange weapon.  She halted there suddenly, as the weapon began to glow with an unnatural light.  Did it, like the planet had, sense and object to her presence?  The youth hadn't moved.  Shading her eyes from the glow, which was rapidly becoming painfully bright, Shara started to take another step, only to be pushed backwards as the youth surged upwards, the glowing blade slicing cleanly through her arm.

Too close!  Too close!  She had stepped too close, and her shields had passed over the boy she had thought harmless.  Her left arm from the elbow down now lay on the floor in gruesome testament to the mistake she had made.  There was no shield now, not with the mechanism forcibly removed from her person.  Why had the phantom's venom failed?!  How?!

There was no time for answers though.  No time for anything but panicked defence as the glowing blade flickered across her vision again and again, inflicting multiple wounds.  None should have been fatal, not even when combined with the others, but when the attacks ceased she found that something was wrong.  Her wounds were not healing, though she could feel the process of healing trying to begin.  A faint abnormal redness gave her the clue she needed.  Poison.  As she had poisoned the youth, so he had poisoned her.  

A laugh escaped her lips.  Such a worthy foe.  Such a worthy victor.  For she realised now that she was indeed fated to die here and now.  And you cannot cheat fate...

***

Squall stepped back from the G'ould as his limit break finished, and the glow left his gunblade.  He could see her wondering why the wounds did not heal, saw as she realised the irony in the situation and understood the soft laughter.  When she straightened and looked him straight in the eyes, he realised she had seen her death and was determined to meet it with the dignity fitting her power.

Slowly he saluted, the SeeD salute that was the beginning of his casting gesture anyway.  Then he cast ultima.  The ultimate spell for, perhaps, the ultimate enemy.

***

All were silent as Shara crumpled beneath the onslaught of the ultima spell.  It was a fitting funeral pyre for such an ancient and powerful G'ould.  She did not scream or contort in pain, but simply died with a serene expression on her face.  Squall stepped forwards when it was over, gently closing her eyes.  Whatever she had done in her long lifetime, she had died a warrior's death, and died it well.

The spell was broken by a series of thuds.  The Jaffa who had still been alive crumpling as one to the floor.  Confusion broke out amidst the marines and SeeDs, allowing Seifer to hurry to his lover's side without being noticed, and heal his wounds.

"You might as well discard those tops."  Seifer pointed out.

"Hmm."  Squall agreed, stripping the remnants from his arms.  "Thought you'd be jealous if I stripped for her."  Seifer looked at him askance.  "What?"

"Nothing..."  But the blond continued to watch his lover as if he might collapse at any second.  Squall glared at Seifer in warning.  "I'm just worried.  You actually made a joke."  Squall growled, elbowing the taller man in the stomach before turning and dropping gracefully to one knee.  "Squ..."  Seifer began, then suddenly followed suit.

The silence returned full force as a glowing cloud of energy fell through the roof of the room, drifting to a halt about a foot from the floor in front of the two kneeling fighters.

"Rise, my chosen knights."  The melodious voice materialised along with its owner, and Edea.  The ethereal being, Hyne, looked around the room with a pleased smile, the SeeDs falling to their knees in reverence before it.  "Rise, all of you."  Slowly, with some further urging from Hyne, they did so, gazing upon her with awe.

The marines weren't quite sure what to make of the situation.  She was not a G'ould, and appeared friendly, but what ~was~ she?  ~Who~ was she?

"I am Hyne.  I was the first, and someday I will be the last, but not today."  She smiled at those not native to the world, and a sense of relaxation, calm, swept over them.  This powerful being meant them no harm.  She was willing to answer their questions.

"Why did the Jaffa all die?"  It was a marine who spoke, but in the aura of calm benevolence it seemed unthinkable that Jack should call him to task for speaking without permission.

"Shara was a very old G'ould.  She was of the 'old school' if you will.  Her Jaffa were linked to her to ensure their loyalty.  If she died, they died."  Hyne sighed.  "In many ways it is a shame she chose death, for she might, having seen the discord into which the younger G'ould have fallen, have joined forces with you."

"You're like Oma Desala..."  Daniel realised, only becoming conscious of the fact he had spoken aloud when Hyne answered him.

"Perhaps, a little.  But I was old before her existence even began, and older still when she became as she is now.  I am only a legend now, even to those who seek to follow my path.  But come, we have yet to end this."

Then, before anyone could object, or even realise her intentions, Hyne vanished from the room, along with Squall, Seifer, Sam, Jack and Daniel.  Outside it was several seconds before the startled SeeDs there realised that Quistis and Irvine had vanished from their midst.

AN: yeah, sorry bout the length n all *unapologetic grin* well, three chapters in one day o.O  Heh, now I just gotta do it again *yawns* well, fraid that may not happen, so it could be a week or so before the final three chapters are up :(  oh well, I've tried *wails*  now, where's that coffee gone? *wanders off in search of coffee and a bed to collapse on*


	41. Rain Of Fire

AN: And so day two of the mad writing marathon begins... *groans* ~and~ I have to pack at the same time!

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...) oh, and an advanced warning of much POV switching in the end parts of this chapter :)

**~Chapter Forty-One: Rain Of Fire~**

SG1, along with Squall and Seifer suddenly found themselves in the corridors of what could only be a G'ould mothership.  There was a noise behind them, from the end of the corridor, and instantly all five had their weapons drawn.

"Hey y'all...  Uh, don't shoot, k?"  Seifer rolled his eyes.

"Kinneas."  The Trabian Headmaster gingerly stuck his head around the corner, sighing with relief when he saw Squall.

"What the hell just happened?"  Quistis demanded, pushing Irvine aside to join the others in the corridor.  "One minute we're in the middle of Centra, the next..."  She gestured around at the corridor.  "We're here.  Wherever here is."

"Great."  Seifer muttered.  "Now she's back in Instructor mode.  Next thing you know..."  He broke off then, staring at Squall with a slightly puzzled expression on his face, as if trying to figure out what was wrong.

I'm dressed you moron.  Squall commented snidely in his mind.  Behind everyone else's backs, Seifer stuck his tongue out.

"Seifer!  I despair of you ever growing up!"  Quistis snapped.

"I knew it!  She goes into Instructor mode, and suddenly she's got eyes in the back of her head!"  Seifer moaned.  Quistis finally turned to face him, and whatever expression was on her face, Seifer shut up in record time.

"Now..."  She began again.  Squall held his hand up, forestalling the repeat of her questions.

"Hyne brought, or sent, us here.  I'm assuming that someone knows how to disable, or destroy, one of these things..."  He looked enquiringly at Jack and Sam.

"Well, this C4 came from somewhere..."  Jack admitted, pointing to the blocks of plastic explosive at the side of the corridor.  "Carter knows where to find naquada, and Daniel can translate the instruction manual to trash the crystal backup drive without blowing us all to bits."  Squall nodded.

"Alright.  How do we get to wherever this G'ould will be?"  

"Generally the throne room.  That's at the very centre of the pyramid."  Daniel's response was met with four blank expressions.  "Um, you're in the pyramid now.  Just think of it as a maze."  Squall nodded.

"Alright.  Let's go.  We'll meet in the throne room."  Jack nodded, then he, Sam and Daniel, after splitting the blocks of C4 between them, headed off in the opposite direction.

***

Whether Hyne had a hand in it, or whether they were simply lucky, SG1 were finding their path to the great engines of the pyramid unobstructed, and their journey uninterrupted by Jaffa patrols.

"So, uh, how exactly am I supposed to use a ~manual~ to destroy the crystal drive?"  Daniel finally asked.  Sam – who had been quietly wondering the same thing – looked with interest at Jack, curious as to what his answer would be.

"Simple.  You do all the don'ts that don't have 'risk of massive explosion' after them."

"Of course."  So simple it could only go wrong, was the thought that immediately flashed into their minds.  

"Do you think we should have warned them about the rings?"  Daniel suddenly wondered, remembering that the SeeDs were unlikely to ever have encountered such a thing.  There was a pause.

"They're bright kids."  O'Neill decided.  "They'll figure it out."

With more than a little trepidation, the three continued towards the engines.

***

The SeeDs however, were not having such an easy time of it.  They had rounded what they had thought to be the last corner, only to find the corridor ended in a small, circular chamber.

"A dead end."  Quistis stated, sounding disgusted.  "I knew ~I~ should have been navigating."

"Quistis, there weren't any other turnings..."  Irvine gingerly pointed out, feeling that, more than denigrating Squall and Seifer's navigating abilities, she was attacking male navigation in general.  The blonde instructor glared him into silence.

The sudden rushing, ringing sound of metal over metal had them all on alert, searching for its source.

"An elevator?"  Squall reasoned, watching four or five metal rings appear in the room before them.

"If it is, can we get them at Garden?"  Seifer commented, gaping as five Jaffa appeared with a flash of light.

"Finally!"  Irvine crowed behind them, noticing the enemy as the rings vanished back to wherever they had come from.  He chuckled nastily, not bothering to aim his gun.  "Ifrit'll knock 'em back a few centuries!"  But as the Galbadian SeeD began to summon the mighty fire elemental, Squall rounded on him, knocking the cowboy cold with a single well-aimed right hook.  Seifer huffed in annoyance.

"I've wanted to do that for years, and you go and beat me to it!"  Squall shot his lover a quelling glare that clearly said 'later', before turning back to face the Jaffa.  They seemed as surprised as Quistis at Squall's actions, but now they recovered, quickly firing their staff weapons before ducking behind the scant cover of the ring room's curving walls.  The SeeDs remained in the centre of the corridor, protected by their defensive spells.  

"No GFs."  Squall warned sternly.  "And no spells that might breech the hull."  Of course, Quistis realised, Squall would know what he was talking about.  After all, he had been into space before.

"Fine."  Seifer sulked, absently using a thunder spell to take out a Jaffa unwise enough to show his head.  "What about limits?"  Squall thought for a moment.

"Irvine's are ok.  Yours should be ok.  Mine..."  He trailed off with a shake of his head.

"What about me?"  Quistis demanded, irritably freezing another Jaffa with a blizzaga spell as she spoke.

"I trust you to use your own judgement."  This said, Squall promptly dispatched the three remaining Jaffa with a tornado spell.

It was only as the two knights strode off towards the ring room that Quistis realised she had somehow become responsible for the unconscious Irvine.  Muttering to herself, she impatiently cast full-life, toeing the Galbadian in the side when he didn't stir quickly enough from his prone position.  The prod seemed to bring reality and memory crashing back down on the cowboy, who bolted upright with a curse.

"Hey!"  Kinneas dashed after Squall and Seifer.  With a black look that could have felled a Ruby Dragon at fifty paces, Quistis followed.  "What in hell was that for?!"  The Trabian Headmaster demanded of Squall's back as she arrived.  The SeeD Commander ignored the question, instead wandering, apparently aimlessly, into the centre of the room.  The irate figure of Irvine followed, still demanding an explanation.  Rolling her eyes, Quistis stepped forwards to join them, intending to give the explanation that Squall seemed strangely reluctant to give, but she found herself distracted by the sight of Seifer pushing a button on what appeared to be a control panel.

"Yeah, because summoning a GF to smash your enemies with a meteor is a ~real~ bright idea when you're on a spaceship!"  The blond snapped at Irvine, coming to stand next to Squall in the centre of the room.  Irvine opened his mouth, the beginning of a fight looming on the horizon, only for his words to be cut off as the rings descended from the ceiling...

***

C4 planted, and the crystal drive, hopefully, mangled beyond salvation, SG1 began to beat a hasty retreat.  The corridors were as deserted as they had been before, and they found themselves wondering at the mentality of an entity who could quite easily have dealt with the G'ould itself, and yet had chosen only to aid them to do so in its stead.  Then, as they literally ran around a corner into a small Jaffa patrol, all three decided that perhaps it ~had~ only been luck on their side. 

The fight was short, brutal and messy.  A typical melee.  Luck, despite the appearances, had been on their side again, only the sheer astonishment of the Jaffa lending Sam, Jack and Daniel the slim advantage that gave them the opportunity to react first.  They were also fortunate that there were only three Jaffa, two of whom went down permanently, whilst the third slumped in a dead faint from a broken nose.  Daniel was nursing split knuckles from the blow that had broken the Jaffa's nose, whilst Jack was slightly hunched over one side where a wild kick had landed seconds before he dispatched his opponent.  It was perhaps this injury, doing an admirable job of clouding both Sam and O'Neill's thoughts, that led to the unconscious Jaffa being ignored as the group continued on their way to safety.

Minutes later the Jaffa groaned and stirred.  The healing power of his symbiont was acting as an anaesthetic, and if he hadn't been able to recall his nose being broken, he probably would never have realised that it had been done.  But he did remember the Tau'ri who had broken it, and that all three Tau'ri had been heading from the engine room of the pyramid.  Scrambling to his feet, and abandoning his staff weapon, the Jaffa launched himself into a dead run.  If he could save the engines perhaps his lord would forgive him losing the Tau'ri interlopers...

***

Of course, the one problem with the rings was that anyone in their vicinity had about ten seconds advance warning of your arrival, whilst you couldn't be certain if anyone was there or not.  Thus it was that the four SeeDs – for Seifer, like Squall, had never been formally dismissed from Garden, although he was now of an age that technically he would be handed dismissal papers on entering a Garden – found themselves facing quite a welcoming committee in the ring room that led to Den'Tok's throne room.

"Bugger."  Was Irvine's astute summation of the situation.  Of course, having been unconscious, his protect and shell spells had lapsed, and being as he was also now at the front of the group, he was in a somewhat precarious situation.  But for some reason the Jaffa were watching him warily...  Or rather, not him, but someone behind him...

Cautiously Irvine twisted his head, straining to see over his shoulder with one eye, whilst watching the Jaffa with the other.  Eventually he managed to catch a glimpse of yellow.  Yellow.  He frowned.  Selphie wore yellow, but she wasn't with them, so...  

"Mighty guard!"  Quistis's shout, coupled with the shield that promptly – and timely given the blue and yellow fire that bounced off it – appeared in front of them all, confirmed the conclusion he had reached.  Somewhere during the transition process one of them had lost an aura stone, and it had activated on Quistis.  Not that he was complaining.  Still, remembering how fickle the mighty guard magic was for the Iron Giants, Irvine gratefully took the opportunity to re-cast protect and shell on himself, relaxing somewhat as the familiar blue and purple lights enveloped him.

"Quistis go left.  Irvine right.  We'll meet you at the far side."  Squall and Seifer strode out of the ring room together, their gunblades reflecting the light of the blue zat fire and yellow staff fire, as well as the blue and purple flashes of their defensive magic as it did its job.  Those few Jaffa unwise enough to try and halt them with physical combat soon found that neither staff metal nor their armour was a match for adamantine-edged blades infused with magic.  Of course, the rest found soon enough that energy crystals and Malboro tentacles were just as deadly, as were Irvine's demolition and amour piercing ammunition.

The four SeeDs regrouped on the far side of the room, at the great double doors that led into the throne room itself.  Behind them the corpses of nearly 25 Jaffa lay, silent testimony to the long years of training and fighting that each of the four had gone through.  Not one of them had needed to use a single offensive spell.

Memories of the horrific final battle against Ultemecia were strong in Irvine, Quistis and Squall's minds, but as one all four reached out and simultaneously cast thundara against the metal doors, so like those that had graced Ultemecia's throne room...

***

The explosion, or explosions, for the sound came from two directions, physically rocked the pyramid, throwing Sam, Jack and Daniel across the corridor.  Ears ringing, Jack tried to ask a question, only to find that he couldn't hear a thing.  Neither Sam nor Daniel seemed in any better condition, both shaking their heads and pointing at their ears when he tried to communicate.  Hearing or no, they all felt the next explosion, and the rush of hot air across their skin was indication enough of its proximity to have them all up and running.

Sound returned with a sharp pop just in time for them all to hear the dull thump, as well as feel the vibration, of the third explosion.  They continued running.

"I said ~not~ the ones with 'danger of explosion'!"  O'Neill yelled, automatically ducking as the heat of the fifth explosion, and some smaller pieces of debris, chased them around the corner.

"Someone must have tried to repair it and swapped the wrong crystals!"  Daniel retorted, recalling that they had never checked if all three Jaffa they had, literally, bumped into were dead.

"Sir!  Ring room!"  Daniel and Jack returned their attention to the corridor at Sam's shout, managing to skid to a halt just in the centre of the room.  The most familiar – after being left with the fragments of Jolinar's memories – with the ring room layout, Sam tapped the activation button as she too skidded past and to a halt at the centre of the room.

"Come on.  Come on."  Jack muttered anxiously, as if willpower could speed the ring's descent.

The vibrations of the sixth explosion visibly rippled ahead of the sound, and the veritable wall of debris and fire that was now heading directly for them.  O'Neill's hand brushed against Sam's, the two pressing against each other, fingers twining together desperately, as if the contact between them would somehow provide the force to protect them against the maelstrom of fire and metal nearly upon them.  Closer and closer the heat came, the winds ahead of the inferno tearing at their hair and clothes, trying to pull them off-balance, to pull them into the explosion's deadly embrace.  The blinding heat, still a good fifteen feet away, had reached an intensity that was beyond the tolerance of human eyes.  As one, Daniel, Jack and Sam lifted their free arms, turning their heads in a vain effort to hide from the high temperature.

Still the deadly firestorm raged closer, and still the rings didn't come...

***

Den'Tok was neither old nor young by G'ould standards, but if he could not be defined by age, neither could he be defined by power.  It was true that he did not have the ancient powers of the old G'ould such as Shara, but it was also true that he did not share the wholly militaristic ambitions of the young G'ould such as Ra and Osiris and all their ilk.  No, Den'Tok had carved his niche in the universe a long time ago, and he had been satisfied with that niche his entire life, until the Tau'ri had begun their seemingly random attacks against G'ould controlled worlds.  There were arguments that the Tau'ri were indeed acting randomly, but Den'Tok didn't believe that for a minute.  Any race who could, and had, bested G'ould defences was beyond mere random acts.  No, there had to be a cunningly concealed structure to their attacks, one that would unfold before his eyes like a delicate Catala bloom in the morning sun.  But only if he stared long and hard enough.

And that was why he was here, orbiting this isolated planet.  The woman, the sorceress, who had contacted him and asked for his aid, had promised him the Tau'ri.  Quite what he would do with them remained to be seen.  After all, he too knew of the sunset prophecy.  If the G'ould were indeed doomed to fall from their position of power, perhaps it would be possible to bargain with the Tau'ri.  He had never claimed to be a god, never mistreated his bondsmen or forced symbiotes upon those who did not wish to be Jaffa...

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of battle in the outer chamber of his throne room.  Somewhat anxiously Den'Tok dismissed his attendants and began to chew on a fingernail.  Quite where he'd picked the habit up from he wasn't sure, but in times of stress the nail unerringly found its way between his teeth.

The sounds of zat and staff fire finally died away to leave silence, and a mounting tension.  There was no way to tell who had won, or even who his Jaffa had been fighting.

Then the doors exploded with a force that rocked the very pyramid.  When the smoke and debris cleared three Jaffa were already dead, cut down by shrapnel, and four figures were standing in the gap where the doors had previously been.  They were not Tau'ri, Den'Tok knew that instantly and his heart sank with the inevitability of it all.  Clearly these were the SeeD that the Sorceress had named as her enemies.  She was defeated, dead most likely, and she had sealed his fate with her own.  There would be no bargaining now, for he had nothing with which to bargain.

"Leave us."  He ordered the Jaffa.  "There is no need for you to die with me."  He saw surprise in the expressions of the four SeeDs.  Surprise, and a little sadness.

"There is no place to run.  This ship is already destroying itself."  The brunette spoke the truth, Den'Tok could feel the explosions through the floor, as well as being able to see the red lights across the control console.  His Jaffa also seemed to have different ideas.  Den'Tok supposed that was the risk you ran by keeping your servants too happy, they became suicidally loyal.  Still, if the nine remaining Jaffa could keep the four SeeDs occupied for a couple of minutes he would perhaps be able to make it to his escape pod.  Fleeing had never been beyond him, not when it was clear that victory was.

"We serve to the end!"  And with a barked command from their leader, the Jaffa formed up between the SeeD and their lord.  Den'Tok bowed his head sadly, and began to back away.

"Oi!"  He did not pause at the yell, but he did look up.  What Den'Tok saw ~did~ make him halt in astonishment.  The nine Jaffa were dead, killed by spells that he had not heard over the distant thumps of powerful explosions ripping through the pyramid, and the blond SeeD, the one who had shouted, was striding towards him.  "Don't think you're getting away that easy!"  The blond sneered, then held up a hand.

Den'Tok watched in queasy fascination as the air around the blond chilled, forming spears of ice that floated about his head and shoulders, trembling as though held in check by some powerful force.  Like Shara before him, he now knew this place, and the omens that it bore for the entire G'ould race.  A gesture from the boy and the ice shards hurtled towards him.  Den'Tok winced faintly, sighing in relief as the shards failed to penetrate his personal shield.

Resigned to making a fight of it, the G'ould warily narrowed the gap between himself and the SeeD, wondering if it would remain a fight between them, or if the blond's companions would join forces against him.  But they showed no signs of doing so.  Drawing back his long sleeves so they would not impede the device's use, Den'Tok activated the G'ould weapon that had once been known as the eye of god for its ability to read a person's mind, or inflict punishment from a simple migraine, to a deadly haemorrhage.  In reality it was nothing more than a highly sophisticated laser, but some things were better understood through folklore and legend.  For a moment it seemed the device would fail, that the strange pink shield around the blond would hold its power at bay.  Then, abruptly, the shield failed, and the beam punched through the blond's side, knocking him to his knees...

***

It was a distinct lack of heat that prompted Daniel to cautiously peer from behind his arm.  His sigh of relief was heartfelt, and prompted both Jack and Sam to the realisation that the only heat they could now feel was the scorched material of their uniforms.  But if the lack of fiery death was a good thing, the fierce vibrations of the continuing explosions was definitely not.  Fortunately they had only to cross the outer chamber of the throne room, and from the corpses spread across it, there seemed little chance of any resistance.  

Still, even if the distance was short, so was time.  A fact they were reminded of as the floor shook yet again.

Silently, but swiftly, SG1 walked across the blood-splattered outer chamber.  They could see into the throne room beyond, could see both the debris that was all that remained of the doors – obviously the other explosion they had heard – and the fight between Seifer and the G'ould.  As they drew nearer they were also able to see the Jaffa, killed where they had made their last stand.  None of them had managed to fire a single shot before they died.

The three SeeDs not fighting were watching everything with a closed, blank expression.  They had seen this sort of carnage before Jack realised.  This whole situation was stirring memories that were better forgotten, but fated to haunt them forever.  He kept falling into the same trap that the Jaffa obviously had Jack mused to himself.  Just because the SeeDs were younger did not mean that they did not have the skills, or the experience, but still... perhaps some of them would agree with him in thinking that some experiences no one should go through.

Abruptly there was an increased tension in the room, and Jack looked over to the duel between Seifer and the G'ould to find that the G'ould's hand beam had somehow broken through the SeeD's defences.  Seifer had crumpled under the weapon, and was now on one knee, right arm clasped tightly across his side in an effort to staunch the heavy bleeding that was staining his clothing and the floor a bright crimson.  His gunblade was held loosely in his left hand, but it was clear the blond was not ambidextrous, and there was little he could do when the G'ould strode forwards and kicked the blade away, raising the hand beam to finish the young man off...

***

The G'ould moved quicker than Seifer had anticipated, and for a moment the old self-doubt filled him.  What if he wasn't good enough to do this?  Then he would be dead, he muttered back sarcastically at himself.  The hand beam appeared to be a laser of some kind, although it hadn't cauterised the wound as he had expected.  The blood loss was making him dizzy and incoherent, but enough strength of will and mind remained...

"Rain of fire..."  The words hissed from between teeth clenched in agony.  Wherever the hell that laser had hit, it hurt like hell to breath, and more so to talk.  Then there was the familiar feeling of disassociation that came with his most powerful limit break.  Seifer watched as the world around him and his enemy transformed, leaving the area where Squall and the others stood untouched.  He was vaguely aware of the off-world soldiers gaping, along with Quistis and Irvine, just as he was vaguely aware of the G'ould's sudden uncertainty.

Pushing his pain to the back of his mind, Seifer stood, stretching his left hand towards the boiling red clouds overhead, as though in supplication, and calling down the liquid fire on his enemy.  It fell on him as well, but the drops did not harm him, merely running from his battered trench coat as though they were water.  Den'Tok was a different matter.  Each drop of liquid fire was just that upon his flesh and clothing.  Smoke rose where fabric and skin charred and burned, the sickly sweet stench of burning flesh beginning to invade the air.  Fortunately, both for the observers and Den'Tok, he did not last long.  With no way to protect his head, and the G'ould healing powers overcome by the sheer devastation of even a single drop of the rain, it took only a few seconds for him to succumb to the horrific wounds and lapse into unconsciousness, and only a few seconds more for the pounding rain to reduce his form to a few mangled and bloody ashes.

Seifer himself shuddered as the limit faded, and not entirely from the sudden return of his own pain.  That limit break had been taught to him by Ultemecia, and he had sworn he would never use it again... but for such a monstrous race as the off-world soldiers had described the G'ould as being...  For them he could make an exception, although it was no less horrific an end.

***

For a moment after the end of Seifer's limit break there was simply silence.  A silence broken finally by Squall as he cast curaga on his lover.

"We have to leave, quickly."  O'Neill's voice was somewhat tremulous.  He had realised that the SeeDs lived in a brutal and violent world, but seeing the way the blond had killed...no, annihilated the G'ould in such a...a...horrendous manner, and without even a second's hesitation, truly brought home just ~how~ dangerous a world it was.

Squall nodded.

"Yes.  Our work here is done."  Daniel was just about to ask how, exactly, they were getting back to the planet, when everything went black...

***

For some reason the journey back to the planet seemed to take forever.  Maybe because everyone was weighted down by their thoughts.  Thoughts of what they had seen and experienced.  Troubling thoughts that were causing them to re-examine their own concepts and morals...

***

A world where he could have been something else.  A world where his destiny might not have been written in blood by his own hands years ago.  Set in stone by a lapse of concentration during the last hours of time compression.  It was difficult, no, impossible to imagine anything other than SeeD now.  He was too old to change his ways now, on this world, but on the other world...  No, it was too hard to do – imagine himself in civilian clothes, unarmed against a hostile world.  Hard enough to picture a world with so many people, a continent with so many people...  And so hard to understand why, in such a relatively harmless world, there were so many more soldiers.  Politics he supposed.  Politics he could deal with, after all, an integral part of being a successful SeeD was the ability to understand politics and use the same principles to negotiate contracts, or to persuade your client that it would be safer for them to let the experts get on with their job.  A shame Rinoa had proven immune to political hints.  The girl never even seemed to realise just how much danger she was in... not until near the end at least.  Still, he bore her no ill will.  It wasn't beyond belief that Ultemecia had been manipulating her even then...

***

She couldn't understand it.  The technology was there, it worked, and yet with the exception of a single continent, it just wasn't used.  She could have understood it, perhaps, if the world stood at one end of the scale, completely magical or completely technical, but for it to be in this limbo of using both...  It wasn't even in transition from one end of the scale to the other.  No anti-technology factions, but no pro-technology factions either, and that was how it had been for millennia, or so it seemed.  Sure, it could be said that a similar balance had been struck on Earth, but that was only true in the most general terms.  No longer were backwater farms using horse or oxen to pull a plough, and with the advent of mobile phones and the internet it was almost statistically impossible, when one included cars and motor vehicles, to find a house that did not have some sort of technology.  Yet here there were people still hoeing their cabbage – or whatever the hell the plant had actually been – patches by hand, fetching water from the local spring and traipsing down to the local post office to see if there was any mail.  And yet, even in the midst of this simplicity, they were far superior in their medicines and healing potions.  They had heard of deadly illnesses such as tuberculosis and cancer, but so long ago that such things were merely legends, bogeymen who had long since been chased from behind their doors to wither in the sunlight...

***

After so many years he couldn't imagine life without it.  To be bereft of the tingle of power down his spine, the sensation of pressure in his mind where his GFs waited, dormant until called to unleash the immense forces at their command.  To be unable to summon lighting or fire, unable to hurl an enemy away on a hurricane's furious breath with a single spoken word, a single concentrated thought...  It would be like losing an arm, or a leg...  A part of him that he could no sooner live without than a Fastitocalon could climb a tree.  But if he had grown up never knowing of magic...?  What then?  Would he feel it still?  A nagging emptiness, a void within that nothing ever seemed to fill.  A sense of loss that had no explanation, yet persisted beyond the imagination.  His magic had been sealed away from him in Ultemecia's castle, along with the other abilities granted to them by the Guardian Forces.  But that had been a block on using the abilities, not a removal of them.  The sensations had been there, muted by the almost tangible magical blocks, but there nonetheless.  Without magic...  The idea was almost sacrilege in some way that he struggled to define.  It was almost unthinkable.  No magic...  How much could they not have achieved without magic?  Ultemecia would have ruled undisputed, except for the fact that she too, even more so than the SeeDs, relied on magic.  There was no part of life that it did not touch.  The hospitals, doctors, paramedics, all used the healing magic to save lives and heal wounds that would otherwise scar or maim.  Even civilians interacted with magic on a daily basis, water heated by fire spells at a central distribution point, cities protected from incursions of monsters by massed protect and shell spells, even children playing triple triad, where the magic of the cards changed their colours automatically.  A life without magic...could be no life at all...

***

He tried to imagine how others would react to this strange world.  This harsh and brutal world where children trained to become fighters, soldiers and mercenaries, from as young as four.  No matter that the Gardens were a comprehensive education system spanning from the very beginning of the education process to the very end.  Even when given a choice almost 95% of those in the Garden system graduated to SeeD and died before their thirtieth birthday.  The loss of life was phenomenal, and yet it had been a way of life for so long that it was accepted.  Losses were mourned, and then the world moved on again.  It seemed inconceivable to him that the value of life was so low, and yet he knew it wasn't.  If anything the SeeDs valued life so much that they were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice.  The few for the many.  And really, that was all they knew.  Fighting, whether it were against human or inhuman foe, and eventually, inevitably, dying.  All they asked from life, they got.  SeeDs were respected everywhere, grudgingly by their opponents, reverently by those they aided, because saying SeeD stood for integrity and honesty, courage and determination, was as easy as saying the sea was wet.  Sure, every SeeD had their own motives, but all were honest, and all would willingly die fighting to protect those who could not protect themselves.  What army on earth could say the same of its soldiers and not be crossing its fingers for even a single percentage of their men at the time?  None to his knowledge...

***

She wondered what it would feel like.  To stand back from her life and all she had done, and be able to wonder what she would do for the next twenty years.  To walk down the street and feel young, all her life ahead of her.  The world to explore, to discover, to experience.  To be able to consider the possibility of a family, of children of her own and watching them grow up and have their own families.  Would it feel the same as that day, that glorious summer day, when the instructors handed her the certificate and shook her hand, not as teachers to a pupil, but as equals?  That wonderful feeling of elation and wonderment mixed together so that she couldn't tell where one ended and the other began, only that her whole life had just begun.  The feeling that every cadet had on their first solo journey into the training centre.  The feeling of immortality and invincibility that led to so many accidents.  That feeling...it had been so long since she had felt that way.  Twenty-one.  Twenty-one and already her thoughts were those of an old maid.  Maudlin thoughts that dwelt on her death, the deaths of her friends.  Which of them would be first to go?  Would she die fighting?  Or would she pass away in her sleep, victim of a heart attack or some other sudden ailment?  What would it be like for those thoughts still to be grey smudges on the distant horizon of the future?  She didn't know, but one thing she did know.  She was a realist, and she would deal with her life as it was, not as it might have been...

***

He could still see her lifeless brown eyes staring at him.  Could still hear the words that had driven him into a rage.  Certainly he of all people knew that different worlds and cultures had different values, but he had thought the value of life to be an unchanging constant that bound all races together.  But here...  This world...  This world of monsters and magic where children fought as naturally as breathing...  Here they seemed still to value the old code, dulce et decorum est in pro patria mori [1].  Except...~was~ it right to die to protect the well-being of the rest of your race?  Wasn't that what every stargate off-world team risked every time they stepped through the stargate into another world?  So was there really that much difference between them?  The SeeDs fought monsters, but their monsters – for the most part - didn't try to disguise their nature behind a mask of humanity.  He supposed, really, now he'd had the time to think it through without the shock and sorrow of Alicia's death clouding his judgement, that the SeeDs were guilty of nothing more than adapting to the realities of their lives.  He could hear now, in his memory, the undertones to the blond's voice that the marines had heard.  The tones that spoke of weariness and too many years of saying the final words.  The tones that were still sorrowful through the numbness of a mind that had faced death too many times to count.  The tones that echoed the sound of yet another name added to a list that could only ever grow, and whose burden would never be lifted from shoulders bowed beneath its weight.  Perhaps, for all the surface appearance denied it, life here was valued far higher than it ever would be on earth...

***

No potions.  No GFs.  No magic.  No way to heal even the smallest of cuts, or the mildest of colds.  He wondered how many lives were lost simply because wounds were left too long, or infection set in.  It was hard to imagine, that someone could bleed to death purely because there were no elixirs or cure spells.  Sure, it could happen to a SeeD, if they were alone and their GFs were KO'd, their magic exhausted and their potions gone, but it was rare, very rare.  And it would never happen in even the smallest village, let alone the hospital of a major city.  Even beggars on the streets, of which there were few, would be healed by anyone who saw them in need, or taken to somewhere where they could be healed.  After all, you never knew when you might be in the same situation thanks to a change in government, or a sudden increase in monsters, or even a revolution.  A society where such things could happen was an anathema in his mind.  And yet, could he really fault such a society if the situation was beyond their ability to rectify?  There were alternatives of course, antibiotics and bandages and stitches and so on, but they were primitive and took a long time to be of any use, and sometimes the injury still proved fatal.  Germs could adapt to the antibiotics and other injections, whereas they seemed unable to adapt to the magic and the potions.  He supposed that was one of the reasons their population was so large, to support the death rate.  Still, if they were doing the best they could with the best they had, there wasn't really much else that could be done...

***

The blackness finally resolved itself into the excavation site after what seemed an eternity.  There were subtle differences now in each of those whom Hyne had spirited away, a new awareness of the many perspectives from which life could be seen perhaps, or maybe a recognition of the differences between two radically different worlds.  Whatever it was, it made Hyne smile quietly to herself as she looked from one to the other of the group.

AN: *smiles* *is feeling all serene now* well, I may have overlapped spheres of opinion slightly in those little introspective bits, and apologies for the fact that they all seem to have gained in depth knowledge about each others worlds without any interaction – blame it on Hyne ;)  hehe, anyway, I hope no one got too confused with the POV changes, if people are wanting confirmation of whose thoughts are where then the sections, in order from after the 'concepts and morals...' are: Squall, Sam, Seifer, Jack, Quistis, Daniel, Irvine

[1]: this is the title of a poem that we covered way back when in GCSE English *runs and hides* and for some reason stayed in my brain.  The sentiment behind the whole thing – irony – just fitted perfectly with Daniel's first literal take on Seifer's words about Alicia dying in the line of duty.  The title is Latin and means 'It is sweet and right to die for your country' (or words to that effect).

hopemia: thanks for the review :) glad you like the fic ^^

myeerah: weell, here's chapter 41 *grins* back from me holiday and now panicking for uni, and still I managed to write it *is feeling impressed with herself* hope you like :)


	42. Dreamings End : FFVIII Epilogue

AN: Short chapter, gomen, but it is one half of a complete epilogue, so... ;)  Anyway, I will be very very surprised if I get this ~and~ the final chapter done before tonight, but hey, managed three chapters in one day before my holiday, so miracles may happen :)

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Forty-Two: Dreaming's End : FFVIII Epilogue~**

"So.  Now what?"  Jack wondered aloud.  Daniel suddenly swore.

"I never got a chance to tell you!"  Shaking his head at his own thoughtlessness, he continued.  "The reason I could only bring back SG5 and SG7, was because the SGC had just received word from the Tok'ra that two G'ould motherships were on the way.  Courtesy of some G'ould called Den'Tok."  Jack and Sam looked stricken.

"If it's any help," Seifer drawled from one side. "Den'Tok was the one I just killed."

Would it help?  Daniel wasn't sure, and said as much, starting to explain the reasons it might ~not~ help, before realising no one was listening.  The situation had taken on an ethereal, almost dream-like feel.  Or nightmarish, depending on the situation back on Earth.  But this was why they had gambled, wasn't it?  To gain the allegiance, the aid of these powerful fighters and their sorceresses.  Jack seemed to have the same thought.

"We helped destroy the mothership here.  Will you help us destroy those that threaten our world?"  Hyne smiled.

"It is already done.  Maybe you should return home and see?"  Her words seemed to echo from a distance, and yet they were all SG1 could hear.  In a daze they turned towards the stargate, watching as first SG5, then SG7 stepped through.  With barely a pause, Sam, Jack and Daniel stepped into the wormhole and vanished.

***

There was silence as the stargate deactivated.  It was just the four of them now, the redundant SeeDs clearly having sent back to their various Gardens by either Hyne or Edea.  The silence, of course, didn't last long...

"Irvy!  Quisty!  ~There~ you are!"  Selphie hurtled into the room, sounding and looking relieved as she dived at Irvine, nearly knocking him over.  Zell ran into the room close behind her, but whilst he mumbled something about being glad Quistis was safe, he refrained from attacking her as Selphie had Irvine.

"Holy...!"  Zell exclaimed, jumping as the stargate turned to dust before their eyes.  All attention switched to the glowing form of Hyne.

Fear not, my children.  She breathed into their minds.  Its use is done, as is mine.

"But..."  Selphie leapt on the latter part of the statement.  "You can stop all the fighting.  You can bring peace..."  The bouncy brunette looked quite crestfallen at the thought that Hyne was not going to do just that.  Squall couldn't help but remember the girl's conviction that Vinzer Deling had also wanted peace.  She had been sadly mistaken that day in Timber too.

Peace is something that must be learned, not forced upon those who are not ready for it.  Selphie bowed her head at the finality in Hyne's tone.  But rest assured, one day peace ~will~ come.  Until then I will wait, until I am needed, where I have always waited.

With that the mist that was Hyne began to thin and spread out, sinking into the ground and the walls.  The four SeeDs  watched in awe, never noticing as Squall and Seifer, Hyne's two knights, also began to quietly make their escape...

***

Quistis watched as Hyne slowly vanished back into the planet, feeling a sense of loss as the being dissipated...  No...  The feeling of loss was too familiar...  She turned...

They were gone!  Squall and Seifer had just vanished without a word.

Hot tears in her eyes, and an ache in her heart, Quistis left Irvine, Selphie and Zell contemplating the last traces of Hyne's presence, and hurried out of the excavation site.  Surely they couldn't have gone far...

***

"Squall!!"  The cry skittered after them through the darkness, made ragged by the night wind, and the emotion choking her voice.  Quistis.  They should've known the blonde instructor would refuse to fall for the distraction trick twice.  "What if we need you?!"  Seifer snorted softly.  Oh yes.  What if they needed Squall.  They still refused to believe that they could ever need him.  Even as his expression turned bitter, he felt Squall's leather-clad hand latch onto his shoulder, squeezing softly.

"We'll likely know we're needed before you do."  There was a definite weight on the 'we', and a definite end to the subject in Squall's response.  

Quistis was left to gape after them as, like all good heroes should, they turned and faded into the night without a trace.  They knew the world was better left to go on without them.  Unless they were needed once more.  But like Squall had said, the chances were that they would know of any need long before the needy did.  

Twin smirks were spared for each other as they reached the coast, travelling with the swiftness and lightness of the wind itself.  Squall knelt and touched a finger reverently to the still ocean surface.  

"Let us pass."  He whispered.  For a moment the world stilled, considering their request, then the sea too seemed to smirk, for it split to reveal a narrow dry path away from the ruined continent.  

Side by side, Hyne's two knights walked fearlessly into their future.

AN: *sniffles* I love this ending... but then I like the ending of the next epilogue as well :)  Prepare for some last minute plot twists *smirks*

Seifer: Yay!  She didn't kill us off!

Zephyr: *frowns* I don't ~always~ kill you off

Squall: No, usually ~one~ of us cops it though

Zephyr: *sulks* can I help it if I'm jealous??  *sniffles*

Zell: And what was it with me and Quistis?  Are we?  Aren't we? What??!

Zephyr: Gah, shut up, the lot of you – at least the stargate crew don't give me this grief...

O'Neill: *mutters* depends what happens in ~our~ epilogue...

Moroboshi: *watches bouncing* *falls over dizzily* @_@  Glad you liked it, you'll be even happier to know that it's nearly finished!!

Myeerah: yeah, a conversation like that ~would~ be very interesting.  hope you like the concluding chapters as much as you seem to have enjoyed the story so far :)


	43. Dreamings End : SG1 Epilogue

AN: Short chapter, gomen, but it is the second half of the epilogue and... *drum roll* THE LAST CHAPTER OF HYNE'S RETURN  hey look ma! miracles do happen!! I finished a fic! I finished a fic!  *collapses* I swear, one of these things is going to kill me one day o.O  *sighs* well, a week to get settled at Uni, and then it's back to the History Repeating Arc X.X

Rating: R maybe PG-13 (R in standing with ff.net's policy of picking the highest rating)

Disclaimer: SG characters are (c) MGM (thankie to Morrigan for that :p).  FF8 characters are (c) Squaresoft, original characters are mine – ask nicely and I might let you play with them, s'long's you don't break them...

Warnings: SxS Maybe angst (I do like to torture my characters sometimes :p), language (prob nothin u ain't heard b4, but still...)

**~Chapter Forty-Three: Dreaming's End : SG1 Epilogue~**

Daniel woke with a start.  He was slumped over his desk, head resting on his arms, one hand clutching a pencil, the other wrapped around a now-cold cup of coffee.  Damn, he hadn't thought he was that tired.  Releasing both cup and pencil, he sat up, pulling off his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose in an effort to clear his sleep-fogged thoughts.  That had been one hell of a dream.  He stretched, and yelped as aching muscles protested.  What the hell?  He wondered, experimentally stretching again.  The aching was already dispersing... but... why the hell were his muscles aching in the first place?  He hadn't slept in *that* much of an awkward position.  The aches vanished abruptly, making him wonder if it had just been his imagination.  Shaking his head, he replaced his glasses and turned to the papers on his desk.  What had he been working on when he fell asleep?  

A small sheet of what looked like parchment caught his eye.  Pinning down the bottom with a finger, he scanned what was written on it...

"You have a song on your world... 'Dreams can come true'  but the reverse is also true...  Reality can become just a dream...  what else are legends?"

On top of the note, pinning it to the desk, was a small vial.  Squinting at the script Daniel managed to make out the word 'elixir'.  He frowned in concentration, hadn't that been what they called those healing potions in his dream?

***

Sam woke to the urgent beeping of her computer.  A message?  Who would be sending her messages at this time of – she checked the clock by her bed – the morning?  Groaning as she realised that the noise would not stop until she got out of bed and read the message, Sam reluctantly rolled out of her bunk.  The floor was cold, not like the dry warmth of her dream...  That was odd...  Part of her mind seemed quite content to accept that the strange events in her memory ~were~ a dream, a theory supported by the fact she had just gotten out of her bunk.  But the another part seemed convinced that somehow those events had really occurred, a theory the inexplicable twinges of muscle pain were supporting.

Dismissing the aches – which had now faded anyway – as a result of lying awkwardly in her sleep, Sam sat down wearily at the desk and opened the message...

"Stars are not always worlds, and worlds are not always planets...  you use the stargate in one way of many, for it is not a 'stargate' but a gate to all worlds, all worlds... real, dream and imagined... its true power source is not mere electrons but the mind, for the mind is also home to all worlds...  Your race is young yet... but you shall know your age by the gift I give to you, though it lies unused for many millennia to come..."

The last vestiges of sleep vanished from her mind.  She remembered, from her dream, Jack making a deal with some powerful being.  A deal that was supposed to result in the three of them returning with valuable items...  She scanned the desk for new additions, quickly finding one.

Nestling in a smooth black box, on a bed of what looked like crushed velvet, but felt softer than feathers, was an orb.  It seemed to be made of crystal, but inside smoke swirled in an agitated dance, a rainbow of colours flickering within its heart.  She sucked in a breath of surprise...  Hadn't the soldiers in her dream all carried things like these?

***

"Sir?!"  The shout, muffled by both the door and a pillow, accompanied by more thunderous knocking finally convinced Jack O'Neill that maybe, just maybe, he should see who wanted him.  And what for.  Which was what said knocker would get if there wasn't a damn good reason for all this racket.  It was – he checked his watch, the backlight almost blinding in the darkness – only 3am for Christ's sake!

"'m coming, I'm coming!"  He yelled back, finally emerging from the warmth of his bed.  Damn strange dream.  Wasn't the first time he'd dreamt of imaginary missions though, despite the fact that he normally visited planets in his dreams that he'd already visited for real.  Damn strange.  Nothing really worrying though.  He hadn't given anything away about the SGC, and he didn't, apart from a little stiffness that he always experienced on waking, seem to have gained any new injuries.  He felt pretty confident that he was in the real mountain complex as well, so that ruled out another G'ould attempt to fool him into thinking he was home safe, when he wasn't.

Fully alert from the moment he had decided to get up, it took Jack O'Neill under a minute to throw on some fatigues and open the door.  The marine who had been hammering on it threw a hasty salute as Jack squinted in the harsh base lighting.

"What?"  He growled, deciding that anyone with the gall to rouse him at such an ungodly hour – and especially when there was clearly no alert or training exercise ongoing – was not deserving of permission to stand easy.

"Visitor for you Sir."  Eyes adjusted to the lighting, Jack glared at the marine.  A visitor.  At this time of the morning.  His attention shifted as someone behind the marine shifted nervously, and his eyes widened in surprise as he recognised the FedEx uniform.  The courier was only young, early to mid twenties at a guess, and looked as though he too had been roused from sleep to deliver the parcel he was clutching.  Dragged from sleep, Jack amended, glancing at the unruly bangs of chocolate brown hair that graced the blue-eyed boy's head.

"He been through security?"  It was a daft question, but then it was a daft situation.  Who the hell sent parcels by FedEx, to a secure – or supposedly secure – military complex, at 3-in-the-bloody-morning?!

"Yes Sir.  Box as well.  Not a peep."  He grunted an acknowledgement.  For some reason his mind seemed to want to see someone else as the courier, almost giving him double vision.  The same boy, different clothes...  Different attitude...  The dream?

"If you'd just sign here."  Jack realised that without conscious thought he had taken the parcel, and the courier was now holding out a clipboard and pen.  Obediently he signed and dated the record, then watched in bemusement as the marine shepherded the courier away.  Strange.  He shook his head, dispelling thoughts of his dreams, and the courier, to wonder instead at the contents of the parcel.  The marine had said that the security hadn't found anything dangerous, so what the hell was it?  More to the point, who the hell had sent it?  And why, in God's name, did his thoughts keep drifting back to that damn courier?!

With a sigh of frustration for his thoughts, which seemed to be spinning in circles to little avail, Jack wandered back into his room, switching on the light before closing the door.  He had planned to go back to bed, but now he was up and his mind was active there seemed little point.  Instead he sat down at the desk, placing the box down after shaking it soundlessly.

So.  No rattle when shaken.  Could just mean the contents were tightly packed.  With a shrug – after all, what was the point of playing guessing games when he could just open the damn thing – Jack took a knife from the desk drawer and carefully slit the parcel tape holding the box closed.  He waited a few minutes.  Not that he thought security would miss anything of human construction, but it never hurt to be careful.  Besides, the way his thoughts were spinning, always coming back to that damn dream, something wasn't quite adding up. 

There was another box inside the cardboard parcel.  It was black, leathery to the touch and looked very expensive.  Hardly the sort of container one would expect a trap in.  But then, disguise was the idea, wasn't it?  He lifted it out, placing it to one side on the desk as he checked the bottom of the parcel.  A scrap of paper was there, and in a sudden fit of paranoia, Jack raked through a draw until he found a pair of tweezers, using those to pull it out rather than his bare hands.

"All a werewolf requires is a silver bullet in the heart...  You have found the werewolves, but you cannot yet forge the bullets..."

The cryptic message did nothing more than add to his confusion.  Tossing the now empty cardboard box in the general direction of the bin, Jack pondered the situation for a moment.  Everything kept coming back to the dream, so, what if it ~wasn't~ a dream?  He remembered...  Of course!  The energy being who had called herself Hyne!  Somehow she must have managed to manipulate them so that they now thought it was a dream!  Without realising it, Jack was already assuming that both Daniel and Sam were in the same, or similar condition to himself.

But that meant that this parcel, well, the elegant black box, was the gift, or one of the gifts, that she had promised in return for their aid!  No longer wary of the 'Trojan horse', Jack O'Neill picked the message up to study it again.  Werewolves and silver bullets...  He groaned.  Even though he was awake, it was still way too early for these sort of cryptic clues.  He sighed.  Well, the fighters of that world, whatever world it was, were able to destroy a G'ould, although it was an admittedly close-run thing.  So, maybe the 'werewolves' were the G'ould?

Deciding that there might be another clue within the black box, O'Neill studied the elegant catch.  It turned out to be simplicity itself to open, and the lid fell back smoothly on oiled hinges to reveal the contents.  Inside, neatly packed, lay twenty silvery bullets.  They shimmered, like a heat haze without the heat, and felt almost electrified when he touched one.  He frowned.  Hadn't he seen something like that in his dream?  Yes, he was sure he had.  He tried to think back, although the memories were already fading.  Maybe Sam or Daniel would remember...

Jack O'Neill grinned mischievously.  Hell, ~he~ was up at 3am, why shouldn't he have some company?  With a smirk that would have made the Cheshire cat envious, O'Neill set out to wake the others, and see just what they could remember between them...

OWARI

(The End)

"And when we woke from life, we thought of all those we had known and wondered, 'did we dream them, or did they dream us?'"

Anon

AN: woohoo!!  Finished!!  Although it was trying to develop another damn plot at the end there *glares at muses*

O'Neill: *glares* you woke me up at 3am for a FedEx delivery?!

Zephyr: *shrugs* I woke the others up too

O'Neill: yes, so I'm not going to get much satisfaction when ~I~ try and wake them up

Zephyr: you might, if they've gone back sleep

Daniel: you expect me to sleep after having a legend dumped on my desk?

Sam: likewise only, uh, what did I get?

Zephyr: GF in a GF orb

Sam: and that now makes ~so~ much more sense *glares*

Zephyr: You're not supposed to understand it, yet.  Maybe in a few millennia...

O'Neill: and how do we know that pulse ammunition will work with our weapons?

Zephyr: huh?  How'd you know what ammunition you got?

O'Neill: *smirks* I tracked down that courier, ~Squall~, and asked

Zephyr: cheat!  *grumbles*

Well, it's been an interesting ride folks :)  hope everyone who stuck with me has enjoyed themselves, and again, if you want an excel spreadsheet of how the chapters fall time-wise, please feel free to either ask in your review (I'll need an e-mail address to contact you) or e-mail me direct and ask – I don't bite, honest ;)


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